Côte d’Ivoire 2025: ECOWAS and AU Deploy High-Level Joint Mission Ahead of Presidential Elections
By Raymond Enoch.
In a decisive affirmation of regional solidarity and commitment to democratic governance, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU) have jointly deployed a high-powered Election Observation Mission to the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire ahead of the country’s crucial presidential election scheduled for October 25, 2025.
The 251-member delegation, which arrived in Abidjan today, is tasked with observing the entire electoral process—from the campaign phase through to election day voting, counting, and immediate post-election developments. The mission will remain in Côte d’Ivoire until October 29, 2025.
Deployed at the invitation of the Ivorian authorities, the joint mission is led by His Excellency Professor Oluyemi Oluleke Osinbajo, former Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He is supported by an esteemed team of African statesmen, including H.E. Baboucar Blaise Jagne, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of The Gambia, and H.E. Mahamat Saleh Annadif, former Chadian Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The observer team brings together 251 Short-Term Observers—187 from ECOWAS and 64 from the AU—drawn from 28 countries across the continent. The mission comprises specialists in electoral administration, gender equality, conflict prevention, legal and constitutional affairs, security, and media, ensuring a comprehensive and multidimensional assessment of the Ivorian electoral process.
Key institutional figures bolstering the mission include H.E. Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security; H.E. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security; Professor Babacar Kanté, Chair of the AU Panel of the Wise; and Ambassador Babacar Carlos Mbaye, a member of the ECOWAS Council of the Wise.
The mission is grounded in the legal and normative frameworks of ECOWAS and the AU, including core protocols on democracy and good governance, and adheres to international best practices in election observation.
During their deployment, observers will engage with a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including government officials, political parties, electoral bodies, civil society organisations, and presidential candidates, to gauge the transparency, fairness, and credibility of the electoral process.
The Joint Mission will issue its preliminary findings at a press conference scheduled for 2:00 PM on October 27, 2025, at the Noom Hotel in Abidjan.
The presence of such a high-level and inclusive mission signals the strategic importance of Côte d’Ivoire’s stability to the African continent. Both ECOWAS and the AU have reaffirmed their commitment to accompanying the Ivorian people in their pursuit of peaceful, credible, and democratic elections.
Stay with Paradigm News International for exclusive, on-the-ground coverage of Côte d’Ivoire’s 2025 presidential election.
