ECOWAS deploys observers across nine islands for Cabo Verde presidential election

…Says no major threat to peaceful polls as UN, AU, other international missions coordinate monitoring

By: Michael Mike

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has deployed election observers across all nine inhabited islands of Cabo Verde to monitor the country’s presidential election held on Saturday, expressing confidence in the peaceful conduct of the electoral process.

The regional bloc said its pre-election assessment had identified no significant threat to the peaceful conduct of the poll, describing the island nation as a strong democratic example in a West African region grappling with political instability and unconstitutional changes of government.

The ECOWAS Election Observation Mission, led by former Gambian Vice-President, H.E. Fatoumatta Jallow-Tambajang, completed its pre-election engagements in Praia, the country’s capital, with activities including the deployment of observers, consultations with international partners and meetings with presidential candidates.

The deployment on November 13 was accompanied by an engagement with the United Nations Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Leonardo Santos Simão, who underscored ECOWAS’s leadership in addressing political and security challenges in the region.

“No one is more important than ECOWAS in this region,” Simão said, reaffirming the importance of regional cooperation in safeguarding democratic processes and political stability.

On November 14, Jallow-Tambajang met with presidential candidate José Maria Neves and convened a meeting of heads of international election observation missions at the ECOWAS Situation Room in Praia.

The meeting brought together representatives of the African Union (AU), the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC), the Network of Jurisdictional and Electoral Administration Bodies of the CPLP (ROJAE-CPLP) and the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF).

The ECOWAS Head of Mission was supported by the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Francess Piagie Alghali, who is leading the technical team of the observation mission.

Presenting the mission’s pre-election assessment, Alghali said the organisation had not identified any major security concern that could undermine the peaceful conduct of the election.

“At this stage, ECOWAS sees no significant threat to the peaceful conduct of the presidential election. Cabo Verde remains a strong democratic example within the West African region,” she said.

The coordinated engagement among the international observation missions was aimed at strengthening cooperation, information-sharing and a common understanding of developments surrounding the electoral process.

During Saturday’s election, Jallow-Tambajang was scheduled to observe the opening of polls in Palmarejo, Praia, visit polling stations in Tira Chapéu, Várzea and Achadinha, and return to Palmarejo to observe the closing and counting of votes, while other ECOWAS observers monitored proceedings across the country’s nine inhabited islands.

The mission is expected to issue its preliminary statement on the electoral process on November 17.

The election is significant against the background of Cabo Verde’s reputation for political stability and peaceful democratic transitions in a region that has experienced military coups, political instability and contested transfers of power.

Cabo Verde transitioned from a one-party system to multiparty democracy in 1991, when the opposition Movement for Democracy (MpD) defeated the long-ruling African Party for the Independence of Cabo Verde (PAICV) in the country’s first multiparty elections. Since then, the two major political parties have alternated in power through elections.

The November 15 presidential election is the country’s sixth presidential contest since the introduction of multiparty democracy and features six candidates, including incumbent Neves, who is seeking a second five-year term, and former Justice Minister Joana Rosa, the country’s first female presidential candidate.

Neves won the October 2021 presidential election with approximately 51.7 per cent of the votes, defeating his main challenger, Carlos Veiga, who secured about 42.4 per cent.

Under Cabo Verde’s semi-presidential system, the president is directly elected and exercises constitutional responsibilities that include signing or vetoing legislation, while the prime minister exercises most executive powers. The presidential contest therefore also has implications for the country’s institutional balance and political relations between the presidency and government.

The ECOWAS deployment forms part of the organisation’s broader mandate to promote democratic governance, credible elections and political stability among its member states.

Through its nationwide observation, engagement with political stakeholders and coordination with other international missions, ECOWAS is supporting efforts to ensure a transparent and peaceful electoral process, with its preliminary assessment expected to provide further insights into the conduct of the vote.

ECOWAS deploys observers across nine islands for Cabo Verde presidential election

NSCDC Raises Alarm Over Fake Promotion Notice, Warns Personnel Against Scammers

…Disowns WhatsApp message seeking officers’ names, service numbers and ranks

By: Michael Mike

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has alerted its personnel to a fraudulent notice circulating on WhatsApp, warning that scammers are attempting to harvest officers’ personal and service details under the guise of the 2026 senior promotion exercise.

The Corps, in an official disclaimer on Monday, disowned the notice, which directs personnel to submit their full names, service numbers and present ranks to a designated WhatsApp number, 08031306693.

It described the purported directive as fake, stressing that neither the NSCDC management nor its National Public Relations Office issued the instruction.

The warning comes amid concerns over the growing use of unofficial communication channels by fraudsters to exploit personnel seeking career advancement, particularly during promotion exercises.

In the disclaimer, signed by the National Public Relations Officer, Assistant Commandant of Corps Babawale Afolabi, the Corps urged officers and men to disregard the message and avoid disclosing sensitive service information to unverified individuals or platforms.

It cautioned that the fraudulent request could expose personnel to identity theft, impersonation and other forms of financial or administrative fraud.

The NSCDC clarified that all official matters relating to promotions fall within the jurisdiction of the Secretary to the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB).

It added that legitimate promotion-related information is communicated through established administrative channels of the Ministry of Interior and the Corps, rather than through unsolicited WhatsApp messages or personal telephone numbers.

The Corps, therefore, advised personnel to verify all promotion-related information through their appropriate command structures and official administrative channels before acting on any purported directive.

The disclaimer urged officers and men to remain vigilant and ensure that the warning receives wide publicity to prevent unsuspecting personnel from falling victim to the scheme.

The development highlights the vulnerability of internal administrative processes to impersonation and fraud, particularly where career progression and promotion opportunities are involved.

For security personnel, the Corps stressed, the safest approach is to treat unsolicited requests for service records and personal information with suspicion and rely exclusively on officially authorised communication channels.

NSCDC Raises Alarm Over Fake Promotion Notice, Warns Personnel Against Scammers

ECOWAS Project Delivers Electricity to 500,000 People in Three West African Countries

…$225m World Bank-funded initiative connects 490 localities in The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Mali

…Mali seeks extension as ECOWAS holds final steering committee meeting in Abuja

By: Michael Mike

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said its $225 million Regional Electricity Access Project has extended electricity access to nearly 500,000 people across 490 localities in The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Mali.

The achievement was disclosed at the 10th and final Steering Committee meeting of the ECOWAS Regional Electricity Access Project (ECOWAS-REAP), which opened in Abuja on Tuesday to review implementation progress and determine measures for ensuring the sustainability of the project.

The World Bank-financed initiative is designed to expand electricity access in underserved communities across the three countries, as part of efforts to deepen regional energy integration and improve living conditions in West Africa.

Speaking at the meeting, the Director of Energy and Mines at the ECOWAS Commission and Chairman of the Steering Committee, Arkadius Koumoin, acknowledged the significant progress recorded despite challenges that affected implementation, including the COVID-19 pandemic and institutional disruptions.

He, however, stressed the need for concrete decisions and actions to ensure responsible closure of the project, noting that its success should ultimately be measured by the number of households effectively connected to electricity.

Koumoin’s position highlights the importance of translating infrastructure investments into actual electricity access for communities, rather than measuring performance solely by completed project activities.

The Managing Director of the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC), The Gambia, Gallo Saidy; the representative of Guinea-Bissau’s Ministry responsible for Energy, Pedro Jeus de Oliviera; and Mali’s National Director of Energy, Oussouby Mary dit Ousmane Diarra, reaffirmed their commitment to completing outstanding project activities.

However, Mali called for an extension to enable it to complete its outstanding work, underscoring the need to address implementation gaps before the project’s final closure.

The meeting is expected to provide an opportunity for participating countries and the ECOWAS Commission to agree on the outstanding actions required to consolidate the gains of the initiative and ensure that beneficiaries continue to enjoy reliable electricity access.

Through ECOWAS-REAP, the regional bloc is advancing its energy integration agenda and the objectives of ECOWAS Vision 2050, with the broader ambition of translating regional investments into tangible improvements in the lives of West African citizens.

ECOWAS Project Delivers Electricity to 500,000 People in Three West African Countries