Azimio la Umoja leader Raila Odinga’s bid for the African Union Commission (AUC) chairmanship has received a boost after President William Ruto secured support from Ghana.
Speaking on Wednesday during the Kenya-Ghana Joint Media Briefing at Jubilee House, Accra, Ruto thanked President Akuffo-Addo for agreeing to support Raila’s AU candidature.
“Your excellency, my dear brother, I thank you most sincerely for accepting to support Kenya’s candidature for the position of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (2025-2028), which has been initiated following comprehensive Stakeholder engagement process across government,” said Ruto.
He noted that Kenya will in turn support Ghana’s candidature for the Secretary General of the Commonwealth.
“On our part, I have assured His Excellency that Kenya will support the Republic of Ghana for the candidature of Hon Shirley Botchwey, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, for the position of Secretary-General of the Commonwealth for the period 2024-2029. Excellency, this presents an opportunity for Kenya and Ghana to collaborate,” Ruto added.
Raila is eyeing the seat to replace incumbent AU Commission chair Moussa Faki Mahamat of Chad for the elections scheduled for February 2025.
On March 15, the African Union Executive Council unanimously resolved that candidates for the position of the next chairperson of the AU Commission would be nominated by the Eastern African regional States.
The resolution was in accordance with the Statute of the AU Commission, the Rules of Procedure, the African Union policy organs, and the decisions of the Assembly of Heads of States and Government.
Raila has been moving across the continent to look for support from African Heads of State for his AU bid.
In February, Raila revealed that President Ruto, Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni, Samia Suluhu of Tanzania, Salva Kirr of South Sudan, South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, and Felix Tshisekedi of DRC have agreed to back his AU bid.
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