Nigeria’s former President, Goodluck Jonathan is scheduled to arrive Monrovia this Sunday as leader of the delegation of the United States’ National Democratic Institute (NDI) International Elections Observation Mission to Liberia’s presidential run-off polls, slated to hold on December 26, 2017.
The run-off election is being contested by the ruling Unity Party candidate and current Vice President, Joseph Nyumah Boakai, and the opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) candidate, George Weah.
The NDI delegation of 35 political and civic leaders, elections experts and regional specialists from 18 countries across Africa, Europe and North America includes Atifete Jahjaga, former president of Kosovo, Hanna Tetteh, former minister of foreign affairs of Ghana, and NDI regional director Dr, Christopher Fomunyoh.
A statement issued by the ex-President’s Media Adviser, Mr. Ikechukwu Eze, said that Jonathan would be leading the delegation, alongside former President Jahjaga.
“I am honoured to co-lead NDI’s international delegation to support transparent and peaceful elections in Liberia, especially given the close relationship Nigeria has always had with this country,” Jonathan had said ahead of his trip.
Former President Jonathan, who is also the Chairman of the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation was initially invited as co-lead of the NDI team for the last October 10 presidential elections in Liberia but could not honour the invitation because of his earlier commitments to attend the 15th Rhodes Forum in Greece where he presented a paper on ‘Multi-Polarity and Dialogue in Regional and Global Development.’
The ex-President however promised to honour the second invitation by NDI, a United States – based organization working to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide to monitor the re-run election.
According to NDI, the election ”represents a historic moment for Liberia, as the country will have the first opportunity for a peaceful transfer of power from one democratically-elected president to
another. These polls would also mark the end of tenure for President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the first female democratically-elected president in Africa.”
NDI delegates have been meeting with the National Elections Commission, government officials, political leaders and civil society organizations, after which they will observe polling places on election day.
NDI has organized more than 150 international election observer delegations in 62 countries and has established a reputation for impartiality and professionalism.
