Akufo-Addo to Lead ECOWAS Election Observation Mission to Nigeria’s January 2027 Polls
- Former President Nana Akufo-Addo has been handed another major international role after leading election observer missions in Bangladesh and the Benin Republic earlier this year
- His office announced the new appointment in a statement shared on his official Facebook page on Thursday, November 12, 2026, outlining the new mission’s composition
- The assignment will see the former Ghanaian leader head a team of experts drawn from across the West African region for a major upcoming election
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Former President Nana Akufo-Addo has been appointed by ECOWAS to lead its election observation mission to Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
Source: Facebook
The announcement was made in a statement from the Office of the Former President on Thursday, November 12, 2026.
Akufo-Addo also shared the statement on his official Facebook page. Nigeria’s presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for Saturday, January 16, 2027.
The appointment adds to a growing list of international assignments the former president has taken on since leaving office in January 2025. Earlier this year, he led observer missions to Bangladesh and the Benin Republic.
Akufo-Addo to lead ECOWAS mission to Nigeria
In the statement, his office said ECOWAS had appointed him to lead a deployment of election observers to Nigeria.
The mission will be put together in line with the regional bloc’s Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance (2001).
It will comprise 200 members drawn from various institutions across West Africa. Akufo-Addo served as Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government from 2020 to 2022. His appointment was widely reported by Ghanaian media, including MyJoyOnline and Graphic Online.
The Facebook post from Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in which he shares the statement, is below.
Who makes up the ECOWAS observer mission
The mission will include experts from ministries of foreign affairs and electoral commissions. ECOWAS ambassadors accredited in Abuja and members of the ECOWAS Council of the Wise will also be part of the team.
Others include members of the ECOWAS Court of Justice and ECOWAS parliamentarians. Representatives of civil society organisations, media practitioners and electoral experts from the region will complete the 200-member team.
Why Nigeria’s 2027 elections are in January
Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) moved the presidential and National Assembly polls to January 16, 2027, in a revised timetable released in February 2026.
The change followed the passage of a new Electoral Act. Governorship elections are scheduled for February 6, 2027. Nigerian general elections have traditionally been held in February.
Earlier in 2026, Akufo-Addo chaired the Commonwealth Observer Group for Bangladesh’s elections and referendum.
He also led the ECOWAS observation mission to the Benin Republic’s presidential election on April 12, 2026. Nigeria is West Africa’s most populous country.
Mahama’s old video on GH¢200 note resurfaces
In other news, YEN.com.gh reported that an old video of President Mahama criticising the Akufo-Addo government over the GH¢100 and GH¢200 notes resurfaced.
The video surfaced amid the launch of the Bank of Ghana’s new Heritage Series cedi notes on November 12, 2026. Mahama had questioned the decision to print the notes while the government was pursuing a cashless economy.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
