Former President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday, February 22, met the 90-member African Union election observers' mission (AUEOM) group, appointed from the 55 African Union (A.U.) member states to monitor the upcoming Nigeria's seventh general election since independence.
Addressing the observer mission, Kenyatta upheld the mission's mandate in the electoral process as that of observing and ensuring it is conducted in a free, credible, and transparent manner.
"We are here to witness the people decide for themselves and to ensure that the process has been run in a manner in which the will shall be the victor," Kenyatta stated.
The retired President called on the observers to be as impartial and neutral as possible, adding that their mandate is to witness the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria elect their leaders.
Read More
He further emphasized that to fulfill the role, they need to work together to ensure the people of Nigeria can exercise their democratic rights by voting for the people of their choice.
Nigerians will head to the polls on Saturday, February 25, in a fiercely-contested presidential vote.
The key contenders in the presidential election are Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the candidate of Buhari’s party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), former vice president Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and Peter Obi, who is running under the Labour Party.
Kenyatta is leading the AU observer mission in Nigeria.
