Former Ghanaian president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has arrived in Cotonou to head the Economic Community of West African States Election Observation Mission ahead of Benin’s presidential election scheduled for April 12, 2026.
Akufo-Addo is leading a multidisciplinary delegation tasked with ensuring a peaceful, transparent, and credible electoral process. The mission includes 20 long-term observers, 80 short-term observers, and 25 young professionals who will be deployed across the country to monitor voting activities.
Operating under the ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, the observers will assess the conduct of the polls, the neutrality of state institutions, and the broader political environment.
ECOWAS says the mission aims to strengthen democratic governance and promote stability in the region. Akufo-Addo has pledged to work closely with Beninese authorities to ensure the election reflects the will of the people and boosts public confidence in the outcome.