To win the African Union Commission (AUC) chairmanship, a candidate must secure at least 33 votes from 48 participating nations. If no candidate achieves this in the first round of secret ballot voting, up to three rounds may be held. If deadlock persists, the lowest-scoring candidate withdraws, and voting continues until one reaches the two-thirds majority. Failure to do so results in election suspension, with the deputy chair assuming interim leadership.
The 2025 AUC election will take place during the 38th AU Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Key contenders for the chairmanship include Raila Odinga (Kenya), Mahmoud Ali Youssouf (Djibouti), and Richard Randriamandrato (Madagascar). The deputy chairperson race features candidates from Algeria, Egypt, Libya, and Morocco.
The election follows regional rotation principles, ensuring fair representation across Africa’s five regions. Eastern Africa has nominated chairperson candidates, while Northern Africa has put forward deputy chair contenders. Gender balance is maintained by requiring male and female nominees for deputy roles. The elected chair and deputy serve a four-year term, renewable once.
