Former Nigerian Vice President Namadi Sambo will head a 120-member ECOWAS observation mission for Ghana’s upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections, scheduled for December 7, 2024.
Sambo accepted the role during a visit by an ECOWAS delegation led by Commission President Omar Alieu Touray to his Abuja residence. Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security, confirmed the appointment. Touray briefed Sambo on Ghana’s current political climate and the preparations underway to support the observation mission’s effectiveness.
Sambo expressed his commitment to serving the West African Community and recalled the success of his previous role in the 2020 general election observation mission in Niger Republic. He pledged full cooperation with ECOWAS and called for a peaceful election process in Ghana.
A fact-finding mission from ECOWAS visited Ghana in late July to evaluate the country’s readiness for the polls. While President Nana Akufo-Addo will not seek re-election after completing two terms, there remains significant tension between the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), who have traditionally dominated Ghana’s political landscape. Ghana’s parliament remains evenly split, with the NDC controlling the Speaker position.
With a population of approximately 34.4 million and over 18.7 million registered voters, Ghana’s upcoming election features 39 presidential candidates, including 12 from political parties and 27 independents. The NDC has fielded former President John Mahama, while the NPP’s candidate is Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia. Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission has asked the Ghana Freedom Party to replace its presidential nominee, Madam Akua Donkor, who recently passed away.
