The MILLS Institute has joined the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Guinea Bissau for the ongoing Presidential and Legislative Elections taking place today, Sunday, November 23, 2025.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer (C.E.O.), Mr. Samuel Koku Anyidoho, is part of the 15-member core Long-Term Observation Team, which has been working in the country for more than a week ahead of the polls.
Mr. Anyidoho is a trained, experienced, and accredited International Elections Observer, certified by the world-acclaimed Electoral Institute for Sustainable Development (EISA) in South Africa.
He has also previously participated in ECOWAS Observation Missions to Guinea Conakry, Benin, Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Senegal, bringing significant experience to the current assignment.
The ECOWAS Mission is led by Ghana’s Ambassador Baba Kamara, a seasoned diplomat who served as High Commissioner to Nigeria under President Atta-Mills and as National Security Advisor during President Mahama’s first term.
Since July 2023, he has also been the ECOWAS Special Envoy for Counterterrorism, further strengthening his leadership of the mission.
Another 120 short-term observers are working across the country to ensure that ECOWAS has its eyes and ears spread across Guinea Bissau for very effective observation of the process.
This year’s election is historic, being Guinea Bissau’s first-ever home-funded national election. Twelve candidates are contesting the presidency, with incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and opposition leader Fernando Diaz of the Party for Social Renewal (PRS) emerging as the front runners.
With a population of 2.2 million and 967,152 registered voters, the ongoing election is a major milestone for Guinea Bissau, a nation that has experienced decades of political turbulence. The significance is further amplified by the fact that this is the first time since independence in 1974 that a sitting president has completed a full term and is seeking re-election through the ballot box.
The Electoral Commission has ensured the availability of all voting materials across the regions of Gabu, Oio, Bafata, Cacheu, Biombo, Tombali, and Quinara.
The country is also widely recognized as the home of Amílcar Cabral, the prominent politician and freedom fighter who led the struggle for independence from Portugal.
Alongside ECOWAS, key international observer groups including the African Union and the West African Council of Elders led by former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan are also monitoring the polls to ensure transparency and credibility.
Source; Ernest Kelvin Okanta
