Former Ghanaian President John Mahama will lead the West African Elders Forum (WAEF) Election Mediation Team to Nigeria for the 2023 general elections. The Goodluck Jonathan Foundation announced in a statement by its Communications Officer, Wealth Ominabo, in Abuja on Saturday that Mahama and his team are scheduled to arrive in the capital on February 22. The team is expected to be on the ground for the February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections as well as the March 11 state elections.
The delegation includes former President Goodluck Jonathan, former Beninese President Boni Yayi, former Gambian Vice President Fatoumata Tambajang, former Burkinabe Prime Minister and ECOWAS president Kadre Ouedraogo, and former African Union Deputy Chair Dr. Erastus Mwencha. GJF Executive Director and WAEF Secretariat Coordinator Ann Iyonu explained that the forum’s focus is to engage with key stakeholders and provide the support needed to ensure peaceful elections. The leaders will work alongside election observers and other participants to guarantee a crisis‑free process before, during, and after the vote.
“Unlike other observation missions, the forum has a special focus on election‑related conflicts, and the Elders will be on the ground for a longer time,” Iyonu said. “The forum, made up of former Presidents and Heads of Government in West Africa, will interact continuously with candidates, political parties, citizens, the election umpire, observers, and other key stakeholders.” The Elders will monitor potential crisis triggers, intervene early with mediation, and offer advice based on their experience as former regional leaders. They will also call for individual accountability from those whose actions or inactions undermine the democratic process or endanger lives.
Ominabo recalled that during the Gambian elections in December 2022, WAEF carried out a similar engagement, deploying a team led by Jonathan. The presence of the WAEF team and their mediatory activities, especially after the elections, helped resolve post‑election tensions that threatened the poll’s integrity and outcome. The current WAEF team will be in Abuja to witness the second signing of the National Peace Accord by presidential candidates and party chairpersons.
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