ECOWAS has the full complement of its 17-member Long-Term Election Observation Mission (LTEOM) now deployed to monitor Nigeria’s 28th March 2015 elections with 11 of the observers joining their colleagues already in the field after briefing in Abuja on Monday 16th March 2015.

 
The first batch of the regional observers returned to Nigeria on 2nd March following the postponement of the elections from 14 February 2015.

 
The LTEOM team is part of the larger 250-strong ECOWAS Election Observation Mission headed by former Ghanaian President John Kufuor, named by the President of the ECOWAS Commission H.E. Kadré Desire Ouédraogo to monitor the elections in Nigeria.

 
At the briefing on Monday, Mr. Francis Oke, Head of the Commission’s Electoral Assistance Division, who is a member of the ECOWAS Election Technical team reminded the observers of their mandate and neutrality.

 
The deployment of the poll observers by the Commission is consistent with the regional protocol on democracy and good governance and demonstration of support and solidarity with Member States organizing elections towards the deepening of democracy and good governance in the region.