The ECOWAS Commission Pre-Election Fact-Finding Mission to Nigeria has begun consultations with key stakeholders to promote peaceful, credible, transparent and inclusive elections ahead of the country’s 2027 general elections.
The mission discussed electoral reforms, institutional trust, political security, inclusiveness and measures to prevent election-related tensions during a meeting with the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), according to a statement published on the ECOWAS Commission’s website.
The consultations were intended to enable the mission “to assess the political and electoral environment, identify potential sources of tension, and consider practical steps to support peaceful, credible, transparent, and inclusive elections”.
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During the meeting, IPAC representatives raised concerns about public confidence in electoral institutions, particularly the perceived independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), transparency in appointments to its leadership and the influence of political parties’ recommendations on electoral reforms.
The Council called for “more transparent and inclusive processes for appointing electoral officials, along with reforms to candidate nomination procedures, the high cost of party primaries, and concerns about the fairness of electoral rules and their application”.
IPAC stressed that sustained stakeholder engagement and confidence in electoral institutions remained essential to strengthening democratic participation and the legitimacy of election outcomes.
The representatives also called for “professional, impartial, and adequate security measures to protect political actors and ensure that all parties can exercise their democratic rights without fear or undue restriction”.
The Council further raised concerns about vote-buying, poverty-related electoral vulnerabilities, inflammatory political rhetoric and what it described as weak enforcement against electoral violations.
Participants called for consistent investigations and appropriate sanctions for offenders, regardless of political affiliation, as part of broader efforts to strengthen electoral integrity and peaceful political competition.
Responding to the concerns, the Head of the ECOWAS Pre-Election Fact-Finding Mission and former Vice-President of Sierra Leone, Victor Foh, emphasised the “need for sustained dialogue among political parties, INEC, security agencies, and civil society organisations”.
Foh described preventive engagement as a vital means of addressing emerging concerns before they “escalate into broader disputes”.
The IPAC delegation included Prince Chinedu Obi, identified in the statement as Director-General and National Chairman of the National Rescue Movement; National Legal Adviser, Obed Okwukwe Agu; National Publicity Secretary, Egbeola Wale Martins; and the National Chairman of the National Democratic Party.
