Former President Kenyatta holds meeting with Nigeria’s Chief Justice prior to Presidential Election.
Former President Kenyatta held a consultative meeting with Nigeria’s Chief Justice Olukayode Ariwoola on Wednesday in preparation for the country’s upcoming General Election slated for February 25th.
As the leader of the African Union Election Observers Mission (AUEOM), Kenyatta met with the President of the Nigerian Supreme Court to gain insight into the judiciary’s readiness to handle any issues that may arise during the upcoming polls.
According to a statement released by the former president’s office, Ariwoola reassured the observer mission of the judiciary’s capability to resolve any potential electoral disputes. He emphasized the established hierarchy of judicial procedures to ensure a fair and transparent resolution process.
“I thought my flight instructor was just pretending to take a nap”, Pilot.
Kenyatta is heading a short-term election observation mission consisting of 90 individuals from a variety of AU member states, including representatives from Election Management Bodies, civil society organizations, independent experts, women, youth, and AU organs.
The mission aims to provide an unbiased and precise evaluation of the electoral process, gauging the extend to which the election meets democratic standards at the regional, continental, and global levels.
The observers will also provide suggestions for enhancing future elections based on their findings, exhibiting the AU’s solidarity and backing for the consolidation of democracy, peace, stability, and development in Nigeria.
“The AUEOM will engage with various stakeholders as well as observe the polling process. Based on the findings, AUEOM will issue its preliminary statement on the electoral process on 27 February 2023 in Abuja,” a statement issued by the AU said.
With only ten days left until the West African country’s General Election, Nigeria is facing a crisis marked by severe shortages of cash and fuel, as well as security concerns.
The election will determine the successor to President Muhammadu Buhari, who has held the presidency for two terms and led Africa’s most populous country. Nearly 100 million people are expected to cast their votes.
Eighteen candidates are in the running for Nigeria’s top office, but opinion polls indicate that three candidates are currently leading in the popular vote.
Among the leading candidates are Bola Ahmed Tinubu from the All Progressives Congress (APC) party, which is President Buhari’s party, as well as Atiku Abubakar, the main opposition leader and former vice president, who is running on the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) ticket.
Unlike the previous ones, this year’s presidential election in Nigeria has a third significant contender, Peter Obi, who is running on the lesser-known Labour Party ticket. His candidacy is shaking up the race.
