ECOWAS Gives Verdict On Governorship, State Assembly Elections

Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has said the conduct of Saturday’s Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections was peaceful and credible.

In a statement released on Sunday, the organization said the electoral process was free, fair, and transparent as adjudged by its Election Observation Mission which has been monitoring the process.

The statement added that the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission revealed that the elections conducted in twenty states were peaceful with all the stakeholders present expressing satisfaction with the process.

The statement read, “The ECOWAS Election Observation Mission deployed by the President of the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States, His Excellency Dr Omar TOURAY, has been on ground monitoring the Gubernatorial and State Assembly Elections in Nigeria held on Saturday, 18 March 2023.

“A total of 837 candidates vied for the position of Governors in 28 States out of 36 whilst the State Houses of Assembly Elections held in 36 States except FCT, Abuja and 10,240 candidates vied for 993 State Assembly seat.

“The ECOWAS Election Observation Mission has been monitoring the process, which has been peaceful generally with all the stakeholders present (INEC officials, party agents and voters) expressing satisfaction at the process.

“In all, one hundred and sixty-three (163) observers have been deployed by ECOWAS and they are drawn from the Community Institutions (the Commission, Parliament, and the Court of Justice); West African Ambassadors accredited to ECOWAS; Member States’ Electoral Commissions and Ministries of Foreign Affairs; and electoral experts from civil society. It also included a thirteen-member Core Team of electoral experts that has been in the country prior to the presidential and national assembly elections.”

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