Yiaga Africa deploys mission to  2024 Ghana polls

Yiaga Africa has deployed an election study mission to observe the elections following accreditation by the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC), ahead of the Ghana’s 9th presidential and parliamentary elections.

The Executive Director, Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, in a press statement issued said Yiaga Africa is undertaking this mission to understudy and document good practices on election result management, voting rights, electoral technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and issue-based politics.

He said the mission hoped to contribute to the body of knowledge on elections through documenting comparative lessons in the Ghanaian elections. 

“This marks Yiaga Africa’s fourth election study mission under its Transforming Electoral Governance in Africa (TEGA) initiative, which enhances electoral governance through evidence-based learning, documentation, and advocacy.

“The 12-person delegation led by Dr. Aisha Abdullahi (former, African Union Commissioner of Political Affairs), included legislators, academics, civil society leaders, legal experts and media practitioners from Africa. 

Other members included Senator Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli, Chairman, Nigerian Senate Committee on INEC and Electoral Matters, National Assembly.

Others were Hon. Prince Adebayo Balogun, Chairman, Nigerian House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters, National Assembly, Dr. Hussaini Abdu, Yiaga Africa Board Chair and Country Director, CARE International, Nigeria, Barrister Afam Osigwe SAN, President, Nigerian Bar Association and others.

He said the mission would observe pre, during and post-election activities using diverse observation tools. 

He further said the mission would interface with key election stakeholders and engage with domestic and international election observer missions as part of its comprehensive observation/study mission methodology.