Former Kenyan president arrives in Nigeria to lead AU election observers mission

Abuja, Nigeria | XINHUA | Former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta arrived in Abuja, Nigeria, Tuesday to lead the 90-member African Union (AU) Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) in the country.

The AUEOM, headed by Kenyatta, will observe the integrity of Nigeria’s presidential and national assembly elections, scheduled to be held on Feb. 25, the AU said in a statement late Tuesday.

Kenyatta is expected to engage with a range of key electoral stakeholders, including the chairperson of the Independent National Electoral Commission, presidential candidates, and the inspector general of police, the AU said.

Kenyatta will also meet leaders of international election observation missions and the African Group of Ambassadors in Nigeria, among others, it said.

After the elections, the head of the AUEOM will issue a preliminary statement on the findings of the electoral process through a joint press conference with the ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) Election Observation Mission on Feb. 27, according to the AU.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, will hold a general election on Feb. 25 to elect a new president and members of the national assembly.

A total of 18 presidential candidates will take part in the forthcoming election. A total of 93,469,008 voters registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission, Nigeria’s electoral body, across the 36 states of the country and the Federal Capital Territory. ■