Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan leave Nigeria for Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on Monday (today) as head of 54-member nations of the Commonwealth international observers monitoring the Tanzanian general election scheduled for October 25.
Jonathan who in March freely conceded defeat to Muhammed Buhari made history as first Nigerian incumbent president to do so.
According to reports, the former president is being eagerly expected by Tanzanians who believe that he is the right person to provide an unbiased observation of the country’s crunchy election.
They believe that his presence would bring credibility to the polls which analysts consider the toughest and closest elections in the country’s history.
In the election, the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party which has been in power since the country’s independence is up against a united opposition that has increasingly been making significant electoral gains.
The reports indicate that as Tanzanians prepare to vote either side, they are happy that high profile observers including President Jonathan, who they consider as ‘a hero of free and fair election in Africa’, would be on ground to monitor the elections.
Two of the country’s reputable media organisations have editorial piece on the coming of the Jonathan-led observer mission.
The Daily News, in a recent editorial ahead of the elections, of Tanzania commended the former president for taking his defeat in the last Presidential elections “in all magnanimity”, adding that “Jonathan may very well have averted bloodshed that is characteristic of incumbent leaders who cling on to power tooth and nail, fang and claw! What lesson is there in this for us in Tanzania, pray?”
The editorial was ‘Salutary lessons for Tanzania from Nigeria’s latest elections.”
According to the editorial, “It is generally admitted that the election in Nigeria was unprecedentedly free, fair and transparent, whereby the opposition candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, won the Presidency. What is more remarkable is that the incumbent president who sought re-election, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, … most graciously accepted the results promptly!
“Oh, I don’t know beyond the fact that Tanzania could tragically do worse if it fails to dedicatedly take a leaf out of Nigeria’s newest Book on Elections!”
The Guardian of Tanzania also did a piece titled ‘High profile figures among observers will add credibility to poll process, results’,in which former President Jonathan was lavishly praised for his feat, which is rare in Africa.
The paper described Bayelsa State-born former president as a democrat who has pointed the way forward for the rest of Africa.
“Jonathan’s voluntary handover of power to the opposition wrote a new chapter for Nigeria’s democracy, given the fact that it is rare for sitting presidents in Africa to hand over powers to winning opposition parties,” The Guardian said.
The Tanzanians are happy to see Jonathan lead the Commonwealth election monitoring team because of his exemplary feat of conceding defeat even before the end of the electoral process and subsequently handing over power to the opposition party, according to the reports.
While in Tanzania Jonathan is billed to meet with President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania, other heads of delegation as well as the local and international media.
