Mahamoud Ali Youssouf beats Raila Odinga to become AU Commission Chair

ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA — Kenya’s candidate for the African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson seat, Raila Odinga, has lost his bid in a closely contested election held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Despite a strong start, Raila was edged out by Djibouti’s Mahamoud Ali Youssouf after multiple voting rounds.

In the first round, Raila secured 20 votes, narrowly leading Mahamoud, who garnered 18, while Madagascar’s Richard Randriamandrato received 10 votes.

One country abstained. Raila slightly extended his lead in the second round with 22 votes, while Mahamoud followed closely with 19, and Randriamandrato received 7 votes. An abstention was recorded once again.

The tides shifted in the third round, where Mahamoud surged ahead with 23 votes, surpassing Raila’s 20. Randriamandrato, who received 5 votes, was eliminated, setting up a direct contest between Raila and Mahamoud.

Mahmoud strengthened his lead in the fourth round, securing 25 votes against Raila’s 21. One vote was declared spoilt, and another abstention was noted. The momentum remained in Mahamoud’s favor in the fifth round as he garnered 26 votes, with Raila maintaining 21 and one abstention recorded.

In the sixth round, Mahamoud kept his lead with 26 votes, while Raila managed 22. With one country abstaining, Raila was eliminated from the race, leaving Mahamoud as the sole candidate in the seventh round.

Mahamoud clinched the AUC Chair position after securing 33 votes, meeting the required two-thirds majority. He is now set to replace outgoing chair Moussa Faki of Chad, who has served for eight years.