Former President Goodluck Jonathan departed Nigeria on Thursday, October 24, to lead the African Union (AU) Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) to Botswana for the country’s upcoming general elections.
In a statement released by Ikechukwu Eze, Special Assistant to Dr. Jonathan, the former president is set to arrive in Gaborone, where he will engage with various stakeholders, including the leadership of Botswana, political parties, civil society groups, the media, and the diplomatic community. His mission is to promote a credible, transparent, and peaceful electoral process.
Jonathan will lead a distinguished team of observers, including members of the AU Permanent Representative Committee, the Pan African Parliament (PAP), African Governance Platform, Election Management Bodies, independent election experts, and representatives from civil society, women’s groups, and youth organisations.
AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat, in a letter to Jonathan, noted that the former Nigerian leader was selected for the role due to his “pan-African credentials and strong commitment to democracy and credible electoral processes in Africa.”
Botswana’s general election, scheduled for October 30, 2024, will be the 13th since the country’s independence in 1965. The election will involve the selection of 61 Members of Parliament and 609 local council representatives.
This marks the fifth time Jonathan will lead an AU election observation mission, having previously overseen similar missions in Zambia, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe since 2015. He has also participated in various other election observation missions under the Commonwealth, ECOWAS, the West African Elders Forum (WAEF), the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA), and the International Summit Council for Peace (ISCP), following his tenure as Nigeria’s president.