Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga is in Burundi to woo President Evariste Ndayishimiwe behind his candidacy of the African Union Commission chairperson seat ahead of the Saturday vote.
Thereafter, Odinga is expected to head to Somalia to rally President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud behind his AUC bid and seen as a last sprint to Addis Ababa where the 46th ordinary summit has convened
His closest competitor Mohaommed Yousef is already at the AU headquarters in Addis to attend the summit that is expected to appoint commissioners Wednesday and Thursday.
Yousouf is joined by other African foreign affairs ministers including Kenya’s Musalia Mudavadi.
Odinga has maintained that he is ready for the Saturday vote where is expected to clinch ⅔ of the vote to succeed Chad’s Moussou Faki.
Only 44 countries are eligible to vote after 6 nations namely Niger, Mali, Guinea, Gabon, Burkina Faso and Sudan were suspended for various reasons ranging from coups to civil wars.