President William Ruto has announced that Botswana has endorsed Raila Odinga’s bid for the African Union Commission (AUC) chairmanship ahead of the February 2025 elections.
The endorsement came after Ruto’s meeting with Botswana’s President, Duma Boko, in Ghana.
“President Boko pledged his support for Hon. Raila Odinga’s African Union Commission chairperson bid,” Ruto shared on his X account on Wednesday, January 8, 2025.
The Botswana endorsement follows a string of declarations in favor of Odinga’s bid. On Tuesday, January 7, Ruto confirmed that Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbe and Equatorial Guinea’s Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue had also thrown their weight behind Odinga.
Earlier in the week, Odinga visited Mauritius, where he was hosted by Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam. This comes after Mauritius’ former foreign minister, Anil Gayan, withdrew from the AUC chairmanship race in November 2024.
Odinga’s campaign has garnered significant support across Africa, with nations such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Nigeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Burundi, South Sudan, Guinea-Bissau, Angola, and Algeria already backing him.
To secure victory in the first round of voting, Odinga needs at least 36 votes from the 55 member states of the African Union.
He will face stiff competition from Djibouti’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, and Madagascar’s former Foreign Affairs Minister, Richard James Randriamandrato.
The three candidates participated in the Mjadala Afrika Leadership Debate held on December 13, 2024, at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. During the debate, they outlined their visions and policy priorities for the African Union, providing a platform for member states to evaluate their leadership capabilities ahead of the elections.
As the February elections approach, Odinga’s endorsements signal a strong wave of support, though the race is expected to remain closely contested.
