AU appoints Uhuru Kenyatta to head election observation mission to Nigeria
In this file photo taken on March 9, 2022, Kenya’s then President Uhuru Kenyatta looks on during Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa speech at the State House in Nairobi.
The African Union (AU) has appointed former President Uhuru Kenyatta to head its 90-member election observation mission to Nigeria.
The AU made the appointment on Tuesday, while launching the African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM), ahead of that country's election on February 25th.
The AUEOM will engage with various stakeholders as well as observe the polling process ahead of the election, and will issue its preliminary statement in Abuja on February 27
“The AUEOM will be led by His Excellency Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta, the former President of the Republic of Kenya,” the unon said in a statement.
According to the African Union commission (AUC), the 90 members of the short-term election observation are drawn from AU member States.
They include representatives of election management bodies and civil society organisations, independent experts, women and youth, as well as individuals from AU organs, notably, the Pan African Parliament and Permanent Representatives Committee.
The mission draws its mandate from various AU instruments and will be supported by experts from the AUC.
Its objectives include providing an accurate and impartial assessment of the electoral process, including the degree to which the conduct of the elections meets regional, continental and international standards for democratic elections.
It will also offer recommendations for improvement of future elections based on the findings, and demonstrate the AU’s solidarity and support for the consolidation of democracy, peace, stability and development in Nigeria.
This is Mr Kenyatta’s second appointment since he left office in August last year. His successor, President William Ruto, earlier appointed him to head peace talks East Africa Community (EAC) region.
