Former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has been appointed to lead the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Election Observation Mission to Nigeria ahead of the country’s January 16, 2027, presidential and National Assembly elections.

The appointment was announced in a statement issued by the Office of the Former President on Thursday, November 12, 2026.

According to the statement, Akufo-Addo will lead the regional bloc’s team tasked with observing the electoral process and monitoring the conduct of the elections.

The deployment is in line with the ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, adopted in 2001, which sets out the standards ECOWAS member states are expected to follow regarding democracy, elections, constitutional rule, human rights, and good governance.

The mission will comprise experts and representatives from various institutions and sectors across the West African region, including ministries of foreign affairs, national electoral commissions and ECOWAS ambassadors accredited in Abuja.

It will also include representatives of the ECOWAS Council of the Wise, the ECOWAS Court of Justice, the ECOWAS Parliament, civil society organisations, the media and the electoral commissions of member states.

The deployment forms part of ECOWAS’s efforts to support democratic governance and credible electoral processes across the region.

Akufo-Addo served as Ghana’s fifth President under the Fourth Republic from January 2017 to January 2025.

About Nigeria’s last elections

Nigeria's last presidential election was held on 25 February 2023 and was one of the most competitive elections in the country's recent history. Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) emerged victorious with 8.79 million votes, representing 36.61% of the total votes cast. He defeated Atiku Abubakar of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), who secured 6.98 million votes (29.07%), and Peter Obi of the Labour Party, who garnered 6.1 million votes (25.4%). Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria People's Party (NNPP) finished fourth with 1.5 million votes.

Tinubu's victory margin over Atiku was approximately 1.81 million votes. The election drew significant attention both within Nigeria and internationally, with opposition parties raising concerns about aspects of the electoral process and challenging the outcome in court. However, the results were ultimately upheld, allowing Tinubu to assume office as Nigeria's president.

Ahead of the 16 January 2027 presidential election, Tinubu is seeking a second term on the ticket of the APC. Among the leading challengers are former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, now running on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and former Anambra State Governor Peter Gregory Obi, who is contesting as the candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).