According to a press release from the ECOWAS bureau in Banjul, Sir Dawda Jawara, former president of the republic of The Gambia, has been appointed as the Head of the ECOWAS Observer mission to Nigeria for the upcoming elections in that country. The full text of the release follows:

In accordance with Article 13 of the ECOWAS additional Protocol A/SP1/12/01 on Democracy and Good Governance of December 2001, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas has appointed Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, former President of The Republic of The Gambia, as the Head of the ECOWAS Observer Mission to Nigeria for the forthcoming Presidential and Legislative elections.

The Mission is tasked with observing and monitoring the electoral processes in order to ensure peaceful, credible and transparent general elections.

The Mission will comprise of about three hundred and fifty observers from all the ECOWAS member states and will last from the 10th to 25th April 2007.

Sir Dawda is expected to depart Banjul on Tuesday, 10th April 2007 for Lagos, Nigeria.