The LTOs were briefed by the ECOWAS Commission’s Technical Support Team led by Mr Francis Oke, Head of ECOWAS Electoral Assistance Division, EAD, and a Core Team of election experts.
The briefings were generally on security, political update, electoral operations, legal and institutional framework, media and elections, campaign regulation, gender analysis and challenges to the electoral process.

There were also presentations on the observers’ code of conduct, observation methodology and logistics.

The LTOs will be joined by 40 Short-term Observers (STOs), all approved by the President of the ECOWAS Commission’s President Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, in line with the regional bloc’s 2001 Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance related to support of member-States holding major elections.

The ECOWAS Observation Mission (EOM) led by Niger’s former Interim Head of State Salou Djibo, will be deployed to some of the country’s 10 islands because of logistical
challenges. Several of the islands are far apart and mainly accessible by air and sea transportation.

Seven candidates, with two former Prime Minister-frontruners, Jose Maria Neves and Carlos Alberto Veiga, are contesting thebpresidency in the Archipelago with 398,864 registered voters among the estimated 550,000 population.

If none of the candidates meets the constitutional threshold of 50% +1 vote in the first round, a run-off vote will be conducted on October 31.