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ECOWAS observers arrive in Nigeria ahead of polls

Xinhua, March 6, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Long-Term Election Observation Mission has returned to Nigeria ahead of the country's elections rescheduled for March 28 and April 11.

The team, which is part of the enlarged 250-member ECOWAS Election Observation Mission, is led by Ghana's former president John Kuffour, a statement issued by the commission in Abuja said Thursday.

The rest of the 18-member team is expected to be in the country next week, the statement added.

The team was originally deployed to five of Nigeria's six geopolitical zones in January and left the country following the rescheduling of the elections.

Kadre Ouedraogo, president of the ECOWAS Commission, led the delegation to separate meetings with key Nigerian political stakeholders following the postponement.

The dispatch of observers by the commission is consistent with provisions of the regional Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance. It is also within the framework of the ECOWAS Electoral Assistance Program for Member States.

National elections, earlier set for Feb. 14 and Feb. 28, were rescheduled following a "strong advisory" and a warning from the National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki and military chiefs that they could not guarantee security for the polls. Endite