JAMES KWEN, Abuja
Notable African leaders including the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Mohammed Ibn Chambas; former President of Tanzania and Head of African Union Election Observer Team to Nigeria, Jakaya Kikwete will on Thursday address politicians and Nigerian electorates on the need to ensure credible, free and fair elections.
Also expected at the 2019 Annual Lecture with the theme: ‘Towards Credible, Peaceful and Participatory Elections: Moving Nigeria’s Democracy Forward,’ organised by Murtala Muhammed Foundation (MMF) is Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as well as former President of the Republic of Botswana and the Head of Joint IRI/NDI IEO Mission to Nigeria, Mr. Festus Mogae.
Aisha Muhammed-Oyebode, MMF Chief Executive Officer (CEO) who disclosed this in a statement obtained by BusinessDay, explained that the event was in memory of her late father, former Head of State, late General Murtala Muhammad.
According to her, goodwill messages from representatives of key observer missions to Nigeria while the keynote addresses will be delivered by former Chairman of Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission and currently the senior team manager for the Africa Program of Open Society Justice Initiative, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu and former President of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Ms. Ayo Obe.
Oyebode said: “The gathering would be an opportunity to honour the memory of General Mohammed who on assumption of office in 1975 immediately instituted a Transition to Civil Rule programme, which his successor in office, General Obasanjo followed through to fruition on October 1, 1979.
“The lecture series is a part of the MMF’s Good Governance and Policy Compliance Programme, which has since 1991 been established as a credible non-partisan platform for expert analysis and generation of recommendations on issues of national importance in Nigeria and the African continent.”
James Kwen
