Raila lost to Djibouti’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, in a tough election held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
After the results were announced, Raila accepted the outcome and urged Africans to embrace democracy. He also congratulated Youssouf on his victory and wished him success.
"As it is, we did not succeed. I therefore concede defeat and want us to use this as an example of strengthening democracy in our continent. I wish Mahamoud Ali Youssouf all the best and success in his undertaking. I also want to thank both those who voted for me and those who did not for exercising their democratic right," Raila said.
The election was highly competitive, with Raila facing strong opposition from Youssouf and Madagascar’s former Foreign Affairs Minister, Richard Randriamandrato.
Voting went through seven rounds before Youssouf was declared the winner.
At the start, Raila had more votes than his competitors. In the first round, he got 20 votes, while Youssouf had 18.
However, as voting continued, Youssouf gained more support and took the lead in the third round with 23 votes.
By the fourth round, only Raila and Youssouf remained in the race after Randriamandrato was eliminated. Youssouf then continued to widen the gap. In the fifth and sixth rounds, he secured 26 votes, while Raila remained behind with 21 and later 22 votes.
In the seventh round, Youssouf won after securing the required 33 votes.
The election was conducted among 49 African Union (AU) member states. Six countries did not participate because they were suspended due to military rule. According to AU rules, a candidate must get at least 33 votes to win.
The AUC chairperson serves a four-year term, which can be renewed once.
Raila’s concession was praised by many leaders who described him as a true statesman. His decision to accept the results peacefully showed his commitment to democracy.
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