President Suluhu Has Accepted to Support My AU Bid – Raila
On Thursday, Raila Odinga, the leader of the Azimio coalition, disclosed that Tanzanian President Suluhu Hassan has agreed to endorse his candidacy for the African Union position.
There have been rumors suggesting that Tanzania might nominate ex-president Jakaya Kikwete to compete against Raila in the upcoming elections for the chairperson position of the AU Commission.
Addressing the audience in Marani in Kisii, Raila mentioned that Suluhu had agreed to support his candidacy for the top continental position, and he is prepared to solidify the East African Community alliance.
The leader of the opposing party mentioned that in the upcoming week, he plans to visit Kigali to request the assistance of Rwandan President Paul Kagame in his efforts to strengthen the East African Community (EAC).
“Next week, I will be meeting Kagame to ask for his vote. Mam Suluhu has already said she is ready to vote for me,” Raila said.
However, Suluhu has yet to publicly speak about support for Raila.
Raila mentioned that he has garnered significant backing from South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Salva Kiir of South Sudan, and Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
“I want to sweep the East African Community votes,” Raila added.
Simultaneously, Raila informed the Kenyan public that both Ugandan leader Yoweri Museveni and President William Ruto have given their consent to support his candidacy for the position of AU Commission chairperson.
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Raila said he is ready to accept defeat if he loses his AUC bid.
“I’ll meet whoever comes out to battle for the seat, if they defeat me it is okay,” Raila said.
Raila and Ruto convened with President Museveni in Uganda on Monday as part of their continuous efforts to garner backing for the opposition leader during the ongoing campaign.
The administration led by President Ruto is putting together a strategic campaign apparatus to support Raila’s candidacy for the African Union.
On Tuesday, Musalia Mudavadi, the Prime Cabinet Secretary, engaged in discussions with Amina Mohammed, the former Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs, at his office in Nairobi.
Until the meeting, Amina had maintained a low profile after concluding her tenure in the government of former President Uhuru Kenyatta, where she previously served as the head of the Sports department.
The gathering occurred as Mudavadi was entrusted with the responsibility to head Raila’s campaign team for the AU position.
In 2017, Kenya nominated Amina for the position, but she was unsuccessful as Chad’s Moussa Faki Mahamat secured the seat and has since maintained his position after being re-elected for a second term in 2021.
President Suluhu Has Accepted to Support My AU Bid – Raila
