Contest for African Union Chairmanship (AUC) enter fever pitch ahead of this week’s polls
The three contenders, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga (Kenya) with Mahmoud Ali Youssouf (Djibouti) and Madagascar's Richard Randriamandrato will face off on February 15 and 16, 2025 seeking to succeed outgoing AU chairperson Moussa Faki of Chad whose term comes to an end next year.
As the contest for the African Union Chairmanship (AUC) contest enter homestretch as a three-horse race, at least six countries out of the 55 African states will not take part in the voting process after having been suspended.
These countries, which include Niger, Mali, Guinea, Gabon, Burkina Faso and Sudan are suspended for various reasons ranging from coups to civil wars.
The three contenders, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga (Kenya) with Mahmoud Ali Youssouf (Djibouti) and Madagascar’s Richard Randriamandrato will face off on February 15 and 16, 2025 seeking to succeed outgoing AU chairperson Moussa Faki of Chad whose term comes to an end next year.
Speaking yesterday, Raila Odinga exuded confidence that he will trounce his competitors.
Raila said he has traveled across the continent and share his agenda for Africa with all Heads of State and government.
“We have traveled the whole of Africa, met leaders and talked to them about our vision for our continent, Africa for Africa, which is my agenda and I am confident I will be elected AUC chairman…I will do the job to best of my ability in collaboration with other leaders from the Continent to improve the lives of our people,” he said.
Raila, Ali and Richard went head-to-head in a televised debate on December 13, 2024, where each used the opportunity to outline their vision of how they would lead the transformation of Africa through the implementation of the AU Mandate and Africa’s Agenda 2063.
The election will be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia this week on February 15 and 16, 2025 at the 38th AU summit
It will be preceded by the election of AU Commissioners on February 12 and 13.
The election for the chairperson, deputy chairperson, and commissioners continues until one of the candidates obtains the two-thirds majority.
The winner of the AUC chairperson seat is required to garner the support of two-thirds of the 55 countries eligible to vote, translating to 33 African Union member states.
The suspensions of states barring them from taking part in the election of the AUC boss are usually announced by the African Union’s Peace and Security Council (PSC).
Mali, Guinea and Sudan were suspended in 2021, and Burkina Faso followed a year later after the military took over power.
Gabon would then be suspended in August 2023 as Sudan joined the league last month (January 2025).
The suspensions bar the countries from participating in any African Union-related activities until they are cleared and re-admitted to the African Union.
The AU insists on having civilian administrations take charge of these countries and in some instances has sometimes allowed for transition periods to allow back civilian rule.
