President of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) Commission, Omar Touray, has said that ECOWAS is strongly committed to supporting peaceful elections and good governance in Nigeria and other member states.

Development Diaries reports that the president made this known while welcoming the Head of the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission (ECOWAS-EOM) to Nigeria, Ernest Bai Koroma.

Nearly 100 million Nigerians will head to the polls Saturday, 25 February, to choose the successor to President Muhammadu Buhari, who steps down after two terms as the country struggles with insecurity and economic challenges.

Speaking on his expectations, Touray said the outcome of the polls should be acceptable and reflect the will of the Nigerian people.

He added that this will send a strong signal to countries conducting elections within West Africa to adhere to democracy and good governance.

ECOWAS had in October 2022 said the outcome of Nigeria’s 2023 elections will have effects on the sub-region and Africa as a whole.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, has reassured Nigerians that the presidential election date remains 25 February.

Speaking at the signing of the national peace accord by presidential candidates, Yakubu said the commission was ready for the presidential and National Assembly polls.

The INEC chairman was speaking against the backdrop of insinuations that the elections could be rescheduled due to security fears.

The United Nations and ECOWAS, in January 2023, warned Nigeria against violence in the elections.

While the UN cautioned that if things go wrong in Africa’s most populous country, there would be serious consequences for the peace and stability of the entire continent; the ECOWAS said if violence occurs in Nigeria, no other nation in the sub-region could accommodate Nigerian refugees.

Photo source: ECOWAS