The Head of the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission for Côte d’Ivoire’s upcoming presidential election, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, arrived in Abidjan on Monday to lead the regional bloc’s efforts in monitoring the polls scheduled for October 25.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said the deployment of the mission aligns with its 2001 Additional Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, reaffirming the bloc’s commitment to peace, stability, and democratic consolidation across the region.
Osinbajo, who served as Nigeria’s Vice President from 2015 to 2023, is leading a 187-member ECOWAS observer team, joined by an additional 66 observers from the African Union.
Supporting him in the mission are Baboucarr Blaise Ismaïla Jagne, former Gambian Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Mahamat Saleh Annadif, former Chadian Foreign Minister.
According to the statement, the ECOWAS team comprises 150 short-term observers, 22 young observers under the pilot programme “Integration of Young People into the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission,” and 15 long-term electoral experts who began monitoring pre-election activities on October 3 in Abidjan.
Upon arrival, Osinbajo was received by Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security, and ECOWAS Resident Representative in Côte d’Ivoire, Fanta Cissé.
Osinbajo expressed gratitude for the warm welcome and said he was honoured to lead the mission in what he described as a “peaceful and hospitable land.” He also expressed optimism that the electoral process would be conducted peacefully and in line with regional and international democratic standards.
Osinbajo, who previously served as Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Lagos State from 1999 to 2007, now takes on a key role in ensuring transparency and fairness in the Ivorian election, scheduled for October 25, 2025.
President Alassane Ouattara, 83, has announced his intention to seek a fourth term in the upcoming polls.
