Ahead of Ghana's December 7, 2024, general elections, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has committed to ensuring a transparent and peaceful electoral process by deploying a substantial team of election observers. Serigne Mamadou Ka, the Head of the Electoral Assistance Division at ECOWAS, shared that an initial group of 16 long-term observers arrived in Ghana on November 20. This core group will be joined by an additional 90 short-term observers arriving between December 2 and 3, making the total count over 100 observers. These efforts will be coordinated from Accra, where a team of five core members will remain, while the rest will monitor activities in Ghana’s 16 regions. This deployment is part of a broader effort to maintain democracy and stability in West Africa. ECOWAS has a long-standing history of facilitating credible elections across the region, and their current mission aims to reinforce Ghana’s standing as a model for democratic governance in West Africa.
To further promote transparency and credible elections, ECOWAS has also provided a grant totaling $210,000 to several key institutions in Ghana. The recipients include the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), National Peace Council (NPC), the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), and the Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FOSDA). These funds are aimed at supporting various initiatives to enhance electoral education and ensure the polls are conducted fairly. For instance, the NCCE received $100,000 to bolster its voter education campaigns leading up to the election. The NPC was granted $50,000 to support its peace building and mediation activities. In addition, CDD-Ghana and FOSDA each received $30,000 to assist in ensuring a credible electoral process. FOSDA's "Ballot not Bullet" campaign, which encourages peaceful participation among youth and women, is a key initiative backed by this funding.
Ambassador Mohammed Lawan Gana, ECOWAS’s Resident Representative in Ghana, reiterated the organization’s dedication to supporting the country's electoral efforts. He highlighted that ECOWAS's financial and logistical assistance underscores their commitment to fostering a peaceful electoral environment. The election observer team will be led by former Nigerian Vice-President Nnamadi Sambo, signaling ECOWAS's prioritization of experienced leadership in overseeing the elections. The observers will engage with stakeholders throughout the election period, maintaining communication until the final vote is cast and counted. The CDD-Ghana, with its grant, plans to combat misinformation and disinformation by establishing a fact-checking coalition and deploying 4,000 local observers to verify election day incidents at polling stations. ECOWAS's efforts, both in terms of observer deployment and financial support, aim to maintain Ghana's reputation as a leader in democratic stability within the region, ensuring that the election process is fair, transparent, and peaceful.
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