Ex-president Goodluck Jonathan returns to Sierra Leone for run-off polls

Goodluck Jonathan addressing the media in Freetown

Former President, Goodluck Jonathan has returned to Sierra Leone to observe the country’s presidential run-off polls scheduled for Tuesday.

Jonathan, who is leading the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA) Election Observation Mission, arrived Freetown on Friday.

Mr. Ikechukwu Eze, the spokesman to the former president, said Jonathan also led EISA to the first round of the elections on March 7.

In the elections, none of the candidates polled required 55 per cent of votes to win at the first ballot.

The run-off is between opposition leader Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone People’s Party, SLPP, and All Peoples’ Congress, APC, candidate Samura Kamara.

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Bio took 43.3 per cent of votes in the first round of voting while Kamara won 42.7 perc ent, propelling them into the run-off.

The APC and SLPP alike have complained that fraud marred the vote, which was declared fair and credible by international and domestic observers.

EISA also declared the process of the March 7 general elections as peaceful and credible.

The mission in its interim report presented to the media on March 9 added that the elections were “conducted substantially in line with sub-regional, continental and international standards.”

It also observed that voter turnout was impressive while the conduct of electoral personnel was professional.

Jonathan who presented the report also appealed to the people of Sierra Leone and all stakeholders to remain calm until the final electoral processes were concluded.