Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, former Chief of Staff to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, has been appointed to head a 120-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Election Observation Mission (EOM) to Senegal’s upcoming presidential election on March 24, 2024.
The crucial election, initially scheduled for February 25, 2024, features 19 presidential candidates, including one woman, and holds considerable importance for the democratic process in the region.
The ECOWAS Election Observation Mission comprises 120 members, including 14 Long-Term Observers (LTOs) and 106 Short-Term Observers, drawn from various sectors such as government ministries, electoral commissions, civil society organizations, and the ECOWAS Parliament.
The mission aims to support and monitor the electoral process in Senegal, ensuring adherence to democratic principles and best practices.
The mission emphasizes key aspects of the electoral process, including constitutional and electoral laws, conflict management, gender inclusivity, and media coverage.
The ECOWAS Election Observation Mission is complemented by a technical team led by Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah and Mr. Serigne Ka, who are tasked with providing logistical and technical support to the mission.
Senegal was among the first countries in sub-Saharan Africa to hold multi-party presidential elections in 1978 before the wave of democratic transition in the 1990s.
For this year’s election, some 338,040 Senegalese were registered in the diaspora.
The country has continued to hold presidential and legislative elections, sometimes marked by political tensions, but without significant threats to the stability of the country’s institutions.
Electioneering started on Sunday, March 9. Voting officially opens from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in 15,633 polling units of the 6,341 polling centres spread across the country’s 14 regions, including the capital Dakar.
The 19 presidential candidates cleared by the Constitutional Council include Amadou Ba, former Prime Minister, veteran opposition leader Idrissa Seck, and former Dakar Mayor Khalifa Sall.
