I’m gratified with the confidence that democracy activists, democratic leaders and other partners have in the work that we do and in the support that we provide to make sure that citizens can work hard to consolidate their democratic processes and practices, Fomunyoh said.
By Boris Esono Nwenfor
BUEA, Cameroon – The National Democratic Institute, NDI according to Dr Christopher Fomunyoh, NDI’s Regional Director for Central and West Africa, has been at the forefront of promoting electoral transparency and accountability across Africa, transforming the democratic process through strategic partnerships with civil society, electoral bodies and political institutions.
Fomunyoh, who also serves as the Special Adviser to the President at the National Democratic Institute, was speaking in an interview with Cameroon media outlet, Dash TV, shed light on the transformative role the organization’s partnerships have played in empowering citizens and institutions to uphold democratic principles.
Strengthening Citizen Involvement
Fomunyoh emphasized the critical role that citizen involvement plays in fostering credible elections. He said: “We have determined to invest our resources, our know-how in supporting local organizations. And when you go through, whether it’s Senegal or Ghana, for the West African countries, we have invested in supporting citizens who have built coalitions of citizen observers.
“Those coalitions have allowed them to recruit and train thousands of their fellow citizens who are then deployed to monitor the electoral process, even right from the campaign period, to report regularly on those processes even before election day, and then on election day to deploy thousands of independent citizen observers across their respective countries.
These efforts to Dr Fomunyoh have enabled thousands of trained citizens to monitor the entire electoral process, from campaigns to vote counting. In Ghana, for instance, the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) deployed thousands of observers nationwide, providing accurate reports on polling activities. Similarly, in Nigeria, Yaga Africa organized robust observation missions that upheld the integrity of the electoral process.
“This exercise has helped to raise the performance of the election commission. It has also helped to give confidence to citizens that their votes would count. It has allowed the stakeholders, the candidates and the political parties to be confident that the work of the independent election commission can be verified, independently verified by citizen organizations,” Fomunyoh said.
“I look back at the partnerships that NDI has developed over the years and continue to sustain across the continent. I look back at the fact that NDI presently has offices in 18 countries on the African continent and in 60 countries around the world. I’m gratified with the confidence that democracy activists, democratic leaders and other partners have in the work that we do and in the support that we provide to make sure that citizens can work hard to consolidate their democratic processes and practices.”
Overcoming Challenges
Despite its successes recorded, NDI has faced challenges in gaining access to vital election data. Many election commissions are protective of their information, such as the number of registered voters or polling stations.
“To overcome this, we start building relationships with election commissions well before election years,” Fomunyoh said.
“What we’ve tried to do to overcome those kinds of challenges is to begin those engagements way in advance of election day or even the election year so that those leaders who manage those institutions can have a sense and a comfort level that the information is being required to help the country conduct meaningful elections.”
“That partnership can only be for the good of the country and it’s in everybody’s interest to be transparent about the data that they can have. And I can assure you that in Senegal, in Ghana, in Namibia, in South Africa, in those countries where we’ve had meaningful relationships, those relationships have paid off and have helped the countries to consolidate their democratic and electoral processes,” Fomunyoh added.
With offices in 18 countries on the African continent and 60 countries around the world, NDI has established itself as a trusted partner in democracy-building. Fomunyoh expressed pride in the Institute’s work, noting that its collaborations with civil society, political parties, and legislative bodies have laid a solid foundation for democratic growth across the continent.
“The lessons from countries like Ghana, Senegal and Botswana show that well-organized elections can lead to meaningful change,” he said. “With strong partnerships, citizen engagement, and institutional accountability, there’s every reason to remain confident for democracy in Africa.”
