The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has officially thrown its support behind Madagascar’s Richard Randriamandrato for the African Union Commission (AUC) chairperson position, potentially jeopardizing Kenya’s Raila Odinga’s bid in the high-stakes election set for February 15.

In a letter dated February 12, SADC’s Executive Secretary Elias Magosi confirmed that Randriamandrato, a former Madagascar Foreign Affairs Minister, is the only candidate from the SADC region. The letter urged all 16 member states, including South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Angola, to back him, emphasizing that there was insufficient time to convene an Extraordinary Council of Ministers.

This endorsement poses a significant challenge for Raila Odinga, who had hoped to secure SADC’s support against his competitors, Randriamandrato and Djibouti’s Mahamoud Ali Youssouf. The race is now more competitive as AU Heads of State gather in Addis Ababa for the 38th Ordinary Summit, where the elections will take place.

Kenya’s President William Ruto arrived in Addis Ababa on Thursday, joining other leaders like Zimbabwe’s Emmerson Mnangagwa and Botswana’s Duma Boko for the summit. The AU elections require a candidate to secure two-thirds of the 55 member states’ votes, making regional endorsements like SADC’s crucial.

Stay tuned to Nairobian for the latest updates on the AUC elections and other top news.