ChuksOkocha in Abuja
The West African Elders’ Forum (WAEF) has deployed a pre-election fact-finding mission to Cote d’Ivoire ahead of the country’s presidential election scheduled for October 2025.
Members of the mission who arrived in Abidjan yesterday afternoon were led by former President of the Republic of Benin, Mr. YayiBoni.
A statement from the WAEF Secretariat declared that other members of the fact-finding mission included chairman of Goodluck Jonathan Foundation and former Nigerian President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan; former Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Dr Mohamed IbnChambas, as well as members of the West African Elders Forum Secretariat.
The executive director of the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation(GJF) and head of WAEF secretariat, Ms Ann Iyonu, stated that the members would be in the country for three days within which they would be interfacing with key stakeholders in Cote d’Ivoire including the political parties, election management body, security authorities, civil society and members of the diplomatic community.
She maintained that the elders’ engagements and consultations in Abidjan were meant to deepen the confidence and trust of Ivorians in the process and ensuring a hitch-free election.
According to the statement from the Secretariat, WAEF was established “as a home-grown, non-partisan platform of former Heads of State and Government in West Africa. It leverages the experience, stature, and networks of its members to provide advisory, mediation, and conflict resolution support services to political leaders across the region.
“Through its engagements, the Forum also contributes to the promotion of democracy, good governance, peace, and stability across the sub-region.”
One of the Forum’s core objectives is to accompany West African countries in their efforts to consolidate democracy, particularly during electoral processes.
In pursuit of this mandate, the statement further averred: “WAEF undertakes strategic engagements before, during, and after elections to ensure that disputes are addressed through dialogue and respect for the rule of law and to foster peaceful transitions.”