President Ruto secures Ghana's support for Raila's AU candidacy
President William Ruto and his host, President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana at the Office of the President in Accra on April 3, 2024.
What you need to know:
- President Ruto has already made a case for Mr Odinga to Rwanda and Uganda.
- President Ruto lauded President Akufo-Addo for backing Kenya’s candidature.
President William Ruto has secured Ghana’s support for Azimio la Umoja leader Raila Odinga’s bid for the chairmanship of the African Union Commission.
This after Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo pledged to support Mr Odinga’s candidacy.
It was the first such official pitch by President Ruto in West Africa since he Ruto endorsed his erstwhile political nemesis for the AU top seat.
President Ruto has already made a case for Mr Odinga to Rwanda and Uganda.
Speaking on Wednesday in Accra, President Ruto said Kenya's candidature is informed by its leading role in enhancing and sustaining the Pan-African agenda.
“I thank you most sincerely, Your Excellency, 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 a comprehensive stakeholder engagement process across governments,” President Ruto said.
President Ruto also lauded President Akufo-Addo for backing Kenya’s candidature.
At the joint press conference, President Akufo-Addo focused on what was in it for his country.
“I just sought the support of President Ruto for the Candidature of Ghana’s dynamic Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, the Hon Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, for the position of Secretary General of the Commonwealth, at the forthcoming elections to be held during the 2024 Commonwealth head of Government’s meeting in Samoa,” President Akufo-Addo said.
President Ruto also said Kenya will support Ghana’s bid for the position of Secretary General of the Commonwealth for the period 2024-2029.
However, the Ghanaian Head of State may be out of office by the time elections at both the African Union Commission and the Commonwealth take place.
President Akufo-Addo is in his last term as Head of State ahead of presidential elections due in December this year.
AU will go into polls in February next year while the Commonwealth will vote in September.
Meanwhile, President Ruto was expected to head to Guinea-Bissau for the first official visit by a Kenyan Head of State to the West African country.
In Guinea-Bissau, President Ruto is expected to make a similar pitch for Mr Odinga’s candidacy.
The definitive timelines for the elections have not been set but a Panel of Eminent Persons was expected to meet in Addis Ababa this week to discuss the upcoming elections and timelines for applications.
“They plan to publish or announce the vacancies for AU Commission by the end of the week. The advertisements run for two months hence the deadline for submission of applications is likely to be the first week of June,” said Elkanah Odembo, a former Kenyan Ambassador to the US now one of Mr Odinga’s strategists for the race.
“However, our strategy will be to submit well in advance of the deadline,” Odembo added.
Only candidates from eastern Africa region will be eligible for the AUC Chairperson position, as part of new rules on rotation.
After rigorous vetting, the candidates will then debate in a televised forum where they will field questions from the public.
