Chairman of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has called for stronger regional collaboration among West African Election Management Bodies (EMBs) to protect and deepen democratic governance across the sub-region.
Speaking at the opening of the Extraordinary General Assembly of the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC) in Banjul, The Gambia, on Thursday, Prof. Yakubu emphasized that effective partnerships and shared resources are vital for electoral integrity and democratic sustainability.
One of the major highlights of the gathering is the proposed adoption of a revised ECONEC statute and the creation of Africa’s first electoral resource-sharing database. The database is aimed at enhancing inter-agency cooperation and capacity-building among member states.
Prof. Yakubu, who previously served as ECONEC Steering Committee President, expressed gratitude for the support he received during his tenure and commended current leaders for keeping the Network active and impactful. Reflecting on the 2017 ECONEC meeting in Sierra Leone, he noted with regret that while all West African nations were then under democratic rule, four countries have since backslid into non-democratic governance. Nonetheless, he expressed hope that democracy would soon return to those nations.
In an emotional note, Yakubu revealed that this would be his final ECONEC meeting as INEC Chairman, as his tenure ends later in 2025. He thanked his colleagues for their years of partnership and encouraged them to remain united in defending democratic values.