The 120 observers deployed to monitor and observe the conduct of voting operations during the presidential election on 12th April 2026 in the Republic of Benin on behalf of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) were briefed on Friday, 10th April 2026, in Cotonou, on the political situation and security challenges in Benin.
During this session, they were also trained on the conduct to adopt in the field, as well as the means and methods of observation and data collection during their field mission.
This briefing session took place in the presence of H.E. Nana AKUFO-ADDO, former President of Ghana and Head of the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission for the presidential election in Benin.
He was accompanied by Commissioner Abdel Fatau MUSAH, responsible for Political Affairs, Peace and Security at ECOWAS, H.E. Amadou DIONGUE, ECOWAS Resident Representative in Benin, H.E. Dimban LENE, Representative of the Ambassadors of ECOWAS Member States accredited to Nigeria, and the Honourable Edwin Melvin SNOWE JR of the ECOWAS Parliament.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of this session, Former President Nana Akufo-Addo emphasised the importance of election observation in Africa. In his view, observing presidential elections may be seen as a simple gesture, but it is a valuable tool for improving the quality of elections.
