By Nkechi Eze
The Chairman of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has made a passionate call for stronger regional collaboration among West Africa’s Election Management Bodies (EMBs), warning that democracy in the region remains fragile.
Speaking in Banjul, The Gambia, during the opening of the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC) Extraordinary General Assembly, Prof. Yakubu said deepening democratic governance depends on closer cooperation and shared electoral resources.
One of the major highlights of the meeting is the proposal to establish Africa’s first electoral resource-sharing database—a move Yakubu described as “innovative and long overdue.”
Reflecting on his time as ECONEC’s steering committee president, the INEC boss thanked fellow commissioners for their support and paid tribute to past contributors to democracy across the continent.
He however, noted with concern that four countries in the region have since slipped away from democratic rule.
“This gathering reminds us of how far we’ve come, and how far we still need to go,” he said.
Yakubu, whose tenure ends later this year, announced this would be his final ECONEC appearance as INEC Chairman and urged the network to continue promoting electoral integrity and unity.
Heads of EMBs from 11 West African countries, including Ghana, Senegal, Liberia, and Côte d’Ivoire, echoed Yakubu’s call and praised ECONEC’s role in strengthening electoral systems across the sub-region.
Prof. Yakubu is also set to join ECONEC’s current president, Mr. Konneh Mohamed Kenewui, in a series of meetings with Gambian stakeholders ahead of the country’s 2026 presidential election.
