The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has strengthened its presence in Côte d’Ivoire ahead of the October 25, 2025 presidential election. Leading the mission is former Vice President of Nigeria, Yemi Osinbajo, who arrived in Abidjan on Monday, October 20, to oversee the deployment of 187 election observers across the country.

The ECOWAS mission includes 15 long-term observers, 150 short-term observers, and 22 youth observers, all tasked with ensuring independent, impartial, and credible monitoring of the electoral process nationwide.

“Our ECOWAS team is here to observe the elections taking place on the 25th of this month. We are here as an official observation mission representing ECOWAS,” stated Professor Osinbajo upon arrival at Abidjan International Airport. He emphasized the strategic importance of this election, not only for Côte d’Ivoire but also for the entire West African region:

“We believe that electoral processes are fundamentally important, and these elections, in particular, hold great significance. We are here to support the Ivorian people and their government through this essential democratic exercise, and we hope it will be a success.”

Highlighting Côte d’Ivoire’s central role within ECOWAS, Osinbajo added:

“Côte d’Ivoire is an important country for ECOWAS. As you know, it is home to nearly eight million citizens from across the West African diaspora. That is why our mission is deployed in large numbers to closely follow this key moment and ensure that the elections are conducted with transparency and integrity.”

By deploying such a substantial mission, ECOWAS reaffirms its commitment to promoting peace, stability, and democracy across the region. Through this electoral observation, the organization seeks to contribute to the credibility and transparency of Côte d’Ivoire’s presidential election.