Mahama leads West African Elders Forum to observe Nigeria’s Elections

• Posted on February 27, 2023February 27, 2023
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

Former President John Dramani Mahama has led the West African Elders Forum (WAEF) to observe Nigeria’s, General Election.

The Office of the former President, in a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency, said one thing that had struck Mr Mahama in his pre-election mission in Nigeria for the WAEF was the confidence all the candidates and parties had expressed in the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC).

The statement said they all testified that INEC had listened and taken their concerns on board before the February 25, General Election.

Mr Mahama urged Ghana’s Electoral Commission (EC) to draw some useful lessons from its Nigerian counterpart.

Three of the 18 candidates have emerged as the frontrunners in the presidential race to replace President Muhammadu Buhari in the event that is also selecting representatives for the National Assembly.

Elections for 28 of the 36 governorships and State Houses of Assembly will, however, follow on Saturday, March 11.

The elections mark 24 years of uninterrupted democracy—the longest span in Nigeria’s history.

The candidate for Mr Buhari’s All Progressives Congress party is 70-year-old Bola Tinubu.

Atiku Abubakar, 76, represents Nigeria’s other traditional powerhouse the People’s Democratic Party, while Peter Obi, represents the Labour Party.

Almost 90 million Nigerians were eligible to vote across Africa’s most populous country.

Meanwhile, results have started trickling in with more expected on Monday, as the election unexpectedly runs into Sunday to resolve some voting challenges.

-GNA