Former President John Agyekum Kufuor arrived in Abuja, the Nigerian capital Monday night to lead a pre-election assessment mission of the International Republican Institute (IRI) of next April’s general elections in that country. Former President Kufuor, invited by the IRI, an American non-profit, non-partisan organization aimed at promoting democracy worldwide, will spend three days meeting with all the major players in the elections, including a breakfast meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan and former President Muhammadu Buhari. His schedule includes meetings with religious leaders, civil society organizations, the Independent National Electoral Commission, international development partners and the media. The mission will round off their assessment with a communiqué of their findings. The 9th April 2011 polls will be the third for Nigeria, Africa’s most populous state, since it returned to democratic rule in 1999. Among those contesting are incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan (Peoples Democratic Party); Muhammadu Buhari (Congress for Progressive Change); Nuhu Ribadu (Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN); Pat Utomi (Social Democratic Mega Party); Dele Momodu (National Conscience Party); Ibrahim Shekarau (All Nigeria Peoples Party); Akpona Solomon (National Majority Democratic Party); Chris Nwaokobia (Liberal Democratic Party); Chris Okotie (Fresh Democratic Party); Ebiti Ndok (United National Party for Development). Last November former President Kufuor led a similar mission to observe as head of the Jimmy Carter Foundation to observe the Cote d’Ivoire elections. Credit: Frank Agyekum Spokesperson, Office of former President JA Kufuor