An ECOWAS fact-finding team, led by former Gambian President, Dauda Jawara, has concluded an 18-day fact-finding mission to Nigeria to appraise preparations for the country’s April 2007 general elections.

The six-member delegation was dispatched under the ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance that seeks to forge constitutional convergence of ECOWAS Member States based on the principles of good political governance and the rule of law.

It provides for the dispatch of fact-finding missions to Member States preparing for elections as part of the process of fostering the development and sustenance of democracy in the region.

During the mission, the delegation visited Abuja, Kano, Lagos and Enugu states where they met officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, government officials at the national and state levels, party officials, civil society organizations and the media.

They also met with President Olusegun Obasanjo, key officials of the National Assembly and development partners.

In remarks at the various meetings, Sir Jawara said that as “associate stakeholders,” other Member States were desirous that the exercise, which would see the election of officials at the legislative and executive levels for the three tiers of government, was credible and peaceful.

He stressed the need for the stakeholders to be “vigilant” so that the elections would satisfy the required criteria, adding that all Nigerians shared a collective responsibility to contribute to the success of the elections.

Other members of the delegation include the Deputy Speaker of Parliament of Sierra Leone, Mrs. Elizabeth Alpha-Lavalie, General Seth Obeng, the former Chief of Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces, Dr Kojo Afari-Djan, Chairman of the Electoral Commission of Ghana and Dr Abdel-Fatau Musah, the ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Adviser.

The report of the mission, which will include recommendations, will be submitted to the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas.