The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has urged West African states to collaborate on election management. This call was made during an event marking the dedication of Liberia’s National Election Commission’s Workspace for its staff.
Liberians voted in a run-off on November 14, 2023, to elect their president for the next six years. The European Union Election Observation Mission in Liberia commended Liberia’s National Election Commission (NEC) for demonstrating the capacity to conduct the first fully Liberian-owned elections.
Joseph Boakai emerged as Liberia’s new leader after sitting President George Weah conceded, marking a peaceful transfer of power in a region that has experienced military coups.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Rotimi Oyekanmi, Prof. Yakubu thanked NEC-Liberia for dedicating the Workspace to staff and recalled INEC’s assistance during Liberia’s 2017 presidential election. He emphasized the significance of inter-Electoral Management Body (EMB) collaboration, citing the complexity of election management and the need for peer support amid limited resources and rising election costs.
Chairperson of NEC Liberia, Davidetta Lansanah, acknowledged INEC Nigeria’s pivotal technical support in establishing the Workspace and bolstering the electoral process in Liberia. She expressed gratitude for Yakubu and INEC’s contributions to sustaining Liberia’s democratic journey. Lansanah commended Yakubu’s role as President of the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions, highlighting his advocacy for resource-sharing among regional EMBs.
Dignitaries present at the event included the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Liberia, Christine Umutoni; Manir Ibrahim, Charge d’affaires of the Nigerian Embassy in Liberia; and the Representative of the Liberian Bar Association, among others.