ECONEC: Cape Verde electoral commission chair replaces Yakubu as president

The ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC) has elected the Chairman of Cape Verde Electoral Commission, Dr Maria do Rosario Lopes Pereira Goncalves, as its president.

Rosario Lopes was the former Treasurer of ECONEC under the leadership of immediate past president and chairman of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu.

Also, Nigeria represented by Yakubu has been conferred with honorary president of ECONEC for its immense contribution to the consolidation of democracy in the ECOWAS sub-region. 

Permanent Secretary of ECONEC, Mr Sourou Francis Gabriel Oke, who read the communique at the end of the 6th Biennial General Assembly on Wednesday in Abuja, said the organisation amongst other things, adopted the activity and financial reports of the two years (2017-2019) prepared by the secretariat under the leadership of  Prof Yakubu.

The Assembly also commended the outgoing steering committee and the staff of the secretariat and stressed the need for consolidation of the gains achieved under the leadership of the outgoing steering committee and sustainability.

Part of the communique read: “In accordance with the provisions of the ECONEC statute, the general assembly adopted a unanimous resolution conferring the title of Honorary President of ECONEC on Prof Mahmood Yakubu in recognition of his exemplary leadership and contribution to the promotion of democracy and good governance in the ECOWAS region.”

Other members of the Steering Committee are 1st Vice President Mr Newton Ahmed Barry of Burkinafaso, 2nd Vice President , Mr Momarr Alieu Njai of the Gambia; Treasurer Mr Amadou Ba from Mali and deputy treasurer and Madam Jean Mensa chairman of the Electoral Commission of Ghana. 

In her speech, the new ECONEC president, Dr Maria do Rosario Lopes Pereira Goncalves, expressed appreciation to her colleagues for selecting her.

She also expressed the  commitment of her team to fulfill the engagements and responsibilities of ECONEC as well as to consolidate on the work of past presidents of the network.

Earlier, ECONEC outgoing President,  Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has said that member states will continue to assist themselves to conduct credible elections in the West Africa sub-region.

Yakubu said that the purpose of electoral commissions of ECOWAS member countries  coming together was with a view to helping one another entrench credible elections through peer review and support.

According to work plan agreed in Cotonou, ECONEC would embark on needs assessment for countries going into elections or solidarity missions with a view to facilitating support to such a country.

This he said was due to their concern about high the cost of elections in the sub-region and the need to help one another.

He assured that member states had the ability to work together and get support from one another.

Yakubu stated that the good thing was that in West Africa sub region, as at today all the countries were democratic countries conducting periodic elections.

“We will continue to help each other in the subregion subject to the availability of resources, but we can see that that kind of relationship has helped us.

“We shouldn’t just wait until governments act. There are things that we can do as a little commission to support one another and to consolidate our democracies in this sub-region.

“In 2020, that is next year, six countries in this subregion are going hold presidential elections. So it’s going to be very busy for the ECONEC Steering Committee.”

The ECONEC president said that in working  together, the network had recorded remarkable achievements including sharing of experience and and securing assistance for countries facing challenges while conducting elections.

“Out of our working together it resulted in the following: In 2016 when we visited Niger Republic. At that time there were issues with some of the election materials, the ballot boxes and the voter cards. I am happy to say that Burkina Faso came to the aid of Niger Republic.

“We want to thank you on behalf of the network for the kind of assistance rendered to the Republican Niger.

“Secondly, when issues arose again with the issue of printing voter cards in Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso offered to assist until UNDP stepped in.

“In Liberal there were issues with the printing of the Registrar of Voters, again Ghana came to the assistance of Liberia, the register was printed in the Republic of Ghana.”

Yakubu added that Nigeria had been supportive across the subregion; including area of electoral Logistics in Niger Republic, Sierra Leone and Gueniea Bissau.

“The fact is that, it is Nigeria  assistance to Guinea-Bissau that resulted in the registration of Voters and the successful conduct of parliamentary elections in March this year.

“The ground is now prepared for presidential election in November this year Guinea-Bissau.”

Yakubu disclosed that agenda of the General Assembly included rendering of financial account and report of what  the outgoing steering committee under his leadership had done in the last two years.

“Beyond that there is going to be an election. The electoral commissions will also organise elections of a  new steering committee that will handle the activities of the network for the next two years according to our status covering the period 2019 from 2021.”

In his remarks, Ahmed Barry, Head  of Burkina Faso Electoral Commission, commended the outgoing ECONEC Steering Committee  under the leadership of  Yakubu.

Barry said that ECONEC under the leadership of Yakubu was not just a symbol but a reality, as he had helped the network to achieve what it wanted as regarded political power.

He said what the network needed now was consolidation on the achievements made by Yakubu led leadership.

Barry, however, urged Nigeria not to be tired of assisting other ECONEC countries, because God has placed it in a position of elder to lead and to help others.

Leave a Reply