The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Muhammed Ibn Chambas, has appointed former Gambian President, Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, as the head of a fact-finding mission to Nigeria. The mandate of the mission is to evaluate and report to ECOWAS on the situation in that country before the forthcoming elections.

The mission, according to a press statement from the ECOWAS Bureau in Banjul, “is tasked with meeting and discussing with political parties, government authorities, Electoral Commissions and other structures, media representatives, civil society organisations and development partners to evaluate the political and security situation, the level of preparedness and probability for ECOWAS’ additional contribution to the electoral process in Nigeria to ensure peace and security.”

Furthermore, the ECOWAS mission is also expected to collect and identify all the conflicting factors which can influence the successful organisation of the elections.

Among the delegation to accompany Sir Dawda on the mission are Honourable Elizabeth Alpha-Lavalie, Deputy Speaker of Sierra Leone Parliament and also member of ECOWAS Council of Elders; Retired General Seth Obeng of the Armed Forces of Ghana and member of ECOWAS Council of Elders; Dr. Koyo Afari-Gyan, Chairman of the National Electoral Commission of Ghana; Dr. Abdel Fatau Musah, Conflict Prevention Adviser, ECOWAS Commission and Francis Gabriel Oke, Programme Officer, Electoral Assistant Unit, ECOWAS.

Sir Dawda is expected to depart Banjul on Saturday, 1st February 2007 for Abuja, Nigeria.