Ex-President Jonathan leads election observation mission to Kenya

Former President Goodluck Jonathan departed Abuja for Nairobi on Friday leading a team of observers to Kenya’s general elections scheduled to hold on August 9.

Mr Jonathan would serve as the Head of the Electoral Observation Mission of the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA).

EISA has deployed a full-fledged short-term team of observers to Kenya.

Ikechukwu Eze, the special adviser on media to Mr Jonathan, stated on Friday in Abuja that the EISA team comprises 21 short-term observers drawn from Civil Society Organisations.

It also comprises Election Management Bodies and representatives of the academia from across the African continent.

“The observers will be deployed in all the regions and specifically in ten counties, across Kenya.

“They will observe the final stages of the political parties’ campaigns, Election Day procedures and results aggregation processes.

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“The Mission’s assessment of the electoral process will be guided by the principles and obligations set out in the 2007 African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance.

“It will also be guided by the 2002 OAU/AU Declaration of the Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa, among others,’’ he stated.

Mr Eze added that the EISA Electoral Observation Mission would issue a preliminary statement on its findings at a news conference on Aug. 11.

(NAN)