An international relations analyst, Dr, Niyi Alabi has stated that ex-President John Kufour would have done a better job if he was given the responsibility to mediate in the Ivory Coast crisis. Dr. Niyi Alabi who was speaking to Citi FM Wednesday said, based on the evidence of ex-President Kufour’s role in averting the political crisis in Ivory Coast, Dr. Alabi believes he would have made a better mediator than former South African president Thabo Mbeki and the Kenyan Prime Minister, Raila Odinga. Ivory Coast leader Laurent Gbagbo has refused to relinquish power after official results released by the Electoral Commission in the country’s first election in nearly ten years named opposition leader Allasane Ouattara as winner. Various world bodies and countries including France and the USA have called on Mr. Gbagbo to step down amidst threats but to no avail. Former South African leader Thabo Mbeki was sent to mediate the crisis at its early stages but left the country disappointed at the posture of the two claimants to the presidency. But Dr. Niyi Alabi believes the African Union would have made some progress if the body had sent former President John Kufour to help bring some closure to the political stalemate. Mr. Alabi explained that president Kufour would have made tremendous progress in solving the crisis because "he would have used all the diplomatic skills, and he does have them in abundance, to resolve this issue and he would have been more acceptable to Gbagbo and to Allasane Ouattara than Thabo Mbeki who had already fumbled in such an endeavour.” Meanwhile reports reaching myjoyonline.com indicate that three West African leaders will return to Ivory Coast next week for more negotiations to end the impasse over last month's disputed elections. Story by Derick Romeo Adogla/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana