Election postponement: Johnson-Sirleaf departs Nigeria, returns Thursday

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

Head of ECOWAS Election Observer Mission in Nigeria, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, has returned to Liberia following the postponement of the general elections.

The former Liberian president would be back to Nigeria on Thursday for her monitoring duites, according to Jonathan Bara-Hart of the Directorate of Communications, ECOWAS Commission.

Mr Bara-Hart told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on telephone that Johnson-Sirleaf flew out of Nigeria on Monday.

“You are asking of the observers; they were given the option of staying, most of them are staying. I do not know if some left.

“I do not think the delegation is without her, she is probably returning with her delegation on Thursday,” Bara-Hart said.

He added that there were four members in her delegation from different parts of the region.

Heads of the international observer missions in Nigeria held a meeting on Saturday and urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to strictly adhere to the new dates it had scheduled for the general elections.

The United Nations, Commonwealth, European Union, African Union, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and ECOWAS are among international observers approved by INEC to observe the elections.