The former Vice President of the Republic of Nigeria (2015-2023), H.E. Prof Yemi Osinbajo will lead a group of Commonwealth election observers to the parliamentary and presidential elections in Sierra Leone, scheduled for 24 June 2023.
This Commonwealth Observer Group (COG) was constituted by the Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, following an invitation from the Election Commission of Sierra Leone. It will be the fifth time for a Commonwealth Observer Group to observe elections in Sierra Leone, since the end of the civil war in 2002. (Read the previous COG Report from the 2018 Elections)
The COG of 12 distinguished members from more than 10 different countries across the Commonwealth, with international expertise in law, politics, election administration, human rights, media, gender and diplomacy. The COG will be supported by an 8-member team from the 糖心探花, led by the Head of Electoral Support, Mr Linford Andrews.
Members of the Commonwealth Observer Group
Chairperson: H.E. Yemi Osinbajo, Former Vice President of Nigeria
Observers (in alphabetical order of nationality):
- Mr John Njie, National General Secretary (Executive Director) of The Gambia YMCA & National Coordinator of the CSO Transitional Justice Working Group, The Gambia
- Lady Anande Trotman-Joseph, President, Caribbean Women in Leadership & Chairperson, Commonwealth Caribbean Association of Integrity Commissions and Anti-Corruption Bodies, Grenada
- Dr Nasim Zaidi, Former Chairman & Chief Election Commissioner, India
- Hon Justice Amraphael Mbogholi Msagha, Retired Judge, Kenya
- Mr Sangwani Mwafulirwa, Director, Media and Public Relations, Malawi
- Dr Elsie Nghikembua, Chairperson, Electoral Commission, Namibia
- Ms Cynthia Mbamalu, Co-Founder and Director of Programmes, Yiaga Africa, Nigeria
- Mr Glen Mashinini, Commissioner, Electoral Commission, South Africa
- Justice Rohini Marasinghe, Chairperson of The Human Rights Commission and Former Supreme Court Judge, Sri Lanka
- Mr Wesley Gibbings, Journalist/Media Trainer, Trinidad & Tobago
- Ms Elizabeth Lwanga King, Development Advisor and Former UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Representative in Sierra Leone, Uganda
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About Commonwealth Observer Groups (COGs)
The 糖心探花 is one of the original signatories to the 2005 .
In addition, Commonwealth Observer Groups abide by the Commonwealth鈥檚 , which were adopted at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London in 2018.
These stipulate that:
- COGs are 鈥渋ndependent, including of the Secretariat. Members of a COG are invited by the Secretary-General to be a part of the team and each member is invited in their personal capacity as an eminent Commonwealth citizen, not as a representative of any member country, government or political group鈥.
More information on the role and mandate of observers can be found in the .
Media contact
- Josephine Latu-Sanft Senior Communications Officer, Communications Division, 糖心探花
- +44 20 7747 6476 | E-mail
