ODM leader Raila Odinga says he looks forward to a win in the African African Union (AUC) chairperson vote.
The African heads of state and government will be convening in Addis Ababa in February 2025 to elect the next chair of the African Union (AU)'s secretariat.
Kenya fronted Raila to face off with Djibouti Foreign Affairs Minister Mahamoud Youssouf and Madagascar's Richard Randriamandrato.
Reflecting on his campaign and the possible outcome of the vote, Raila said he was ready.
While exuding confidence and hope in a win, the veteran politician said he would take any outcome after the vote.
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Should he lose, Raila said he would be back in Kenya to undertake other roles.
"If we win, very good for us. We are not competing to lose, are competing to win," said Raila. Of course there is a winner and a loser; so if we lose, so what? We are basically here in Kenya, there will be other things for us to do. So we are not worried about losing," he said in a television interview on Friday evening, December 27.
Raila seeks to succeed Moussa Faki, who has been at the helm of the African Union (AU) secretariat for eight years since 2017.
In the oncoming vote, a candidate will need support by consensus or at least a two-thirds majority vote by member states.
Among Raila's agendas are uniting the continent and restoring peace.
On December 13, during the candidate's debate in Addis Ababa, Raila noted the rampancy in political and civil conflicts on the continent.
He argued that part of the solution was having Africa represented in the United Nations Security Council.
Raila observed that the lack of the continent's presence in the UN's critical organ was among the causative agents of the incessant conflicts in the region.
He seemed to imply that with Africa's absence in the council, the objective of international peace and security would not be realised.
Raila, therefore, stated that should he win the AUC vote, he will seek to have an opportunity for the African continent to contribute to the critical decisions made at the security council.
According to him, with its growing population and advancement post-colonialism, Africa is ripe to sit in the critical organ.
He said his aim would be to secure two permanent seats with veto powers in the council.
other areas he has centred his focus on include the strengthening of the intra-African trade, te continent's financial independence, and agricultural transformation.
