2023 Elections: ECOWAS Observer Mission Raises Concerns Over Fuel, Cash Scarcity

2023 Elections: ECOWAS Observer Mission Raises Concerns Over Fuel, Cash Scarcity

As the general elections approach, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Election Observer team has expressed concern about the lingering fuel shortage and the cash crunch caused by the naira swap, and how these may affect the elections.

Former Sierra Leonean President Ernest Bai Koroma, who leads the 250-man delegation, raised the concerns when the Observer team met with Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama in Abuja on Wednesday.

At the meeting, Koroma urged the Nigerian government to address these issues before the elections.

“So far, we have had some concerns that have been raised that bother on the availability of fuel as its limitation will affect the movement of everybody including the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC).

“Another concern is that of the scarcity of cash – limited liquidity in the system. This has been a concern that has been raised by our observers and also, the political parties that we have met”, he said.

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Koroma also addressed security concerns as they pertain to specific locations and regions, noting that while there have been isolated incidents of violence, the government should take steps to address them ahead of the elections.

While praising Nigeria for its unwavering efforts and sacrifices in strengthening democracy in the sub-region, he emphasized that the success of the Nigerian elections is critical to the world.

He said: “We are very pleased to be here. We are here with great expectations; we are here as an observer mission of ECOWAS. Before now, we have deployed long-term observers who have been involved in the early observation of the process and we are here with a total deployment of about 250 observers that would be deployed all over the country to observe the process.

“This election is critical because Nigeria is the biggest economy in the sub-region. Anything that succeeds here will send the right signal to the rest of ECOWAS and even to the AU and beyond.”

According to him, “For us, the moment is critical because we have been experiencing a reversal of democratic gains we have made within the sub-region. We have had five attempted coups and we have countries among us that have military regimes governing them and this is democracy backsliding which is not encouraging for us.

“We know the sacrifices that Nigeria has made in the past to restore democracy in the sub-region including the country that I come from and neighbouring countries and what you have done recently in ensuring that electioneering processes are completed fully in countries like The Gambia.

“For us, Nigeria should be an example that is why everybody is very anxious, everybody is keen in being part of this process and we are proud to be part of this process and we hope that at the end of it all, the outcome will be an election that will be accepted by the people as a reflection of their will. We are happy to note that President Muhammadu Buhari has made a commitment to ensure that there is a free and fair election that will become part of his legacy”, he said.

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