Jonathan Bags Continental Assignment In Kenya

Former President Goodluck Jonathan left Abuja for Nairobi on Friday leading a team of observers for Kenya’s general election scheduled for August 9.

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

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

Ikechukwu Eze, Mr. Jonathan’s special adviser on media, said in Abuja on Friday that the EISA team is made up of 21 short-term observers from civil society organizations.

It also comprises electoral management bodies and academic representatives from across the African continent.

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

“They will observe the final stages of political party campaigns, election day procedures, and results aggregation processes.

“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 on Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa, among others,” he said.

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