Former President Goodluck Jonathan is preparing to depart Nigeria for Gaborone, where he will spearhead the African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) for Botswana’s general elections scheduled for October 30.

In this capacity, Jonathan will be joined by a distinguished group of leaders, including members of the African Union Permanent Representative Committee, the Pan African Parliament (PAP), the African Governance Platform, and various independent election experts. The mission will also feature representatives from civil society organizations, as well as advocates for women and youth.

While in Gaborone, Jonathan plans to engage in consultations with a diverse range of stakeholders, including the country’s leadership, political parties, civil society groups, media representatives, and the diplomatic community. His primary aim is to promote a credible, transparent, and peaceful electoral process leading up to and during the elections.

Moussa Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, expressed confidence in Jonathan’s qualifications for this significant role, noting in a letter that he was selected due to his “pan-African credentials and solid commitment to democracy and credible electoral processes in Africa.”

This upcoming general election marks the 13th since Botswana achieved independence in 1965, with voters set to elect 61 Members of Parliament and 609 Local Council members.

For Jonathan, this mission will represent his fifth leadership role in AU election observation efforts since 2015, following similar missions in Zambia, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. He has also participated in various election observation initiatives with organizations such as the Commonwealth, ECOWAS, the West Africa Electoral Forum (WAEF), the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA), and the International Summit Council for Peace (ISCP) since leaving office as Nigeria’s president.