Macky Sall withdraws from UN Secretary-General race
In April, PREMIUM TIMES reported that Nigeria had objected to the AU’s designation of Mr Sall as the bloc’s consensus candidate for the UN’s top job. The post Macky Sall withdraws from UN Secretary-General race appeared…
The race to succeed the UN Secretary-General has drawn interest from across Africa, with the African Union historically pushing for a consensus candidate from the continent to boost its chances at the UN Security Council, where any pick must ultimately be approved. Macky Sall, who served as Senegal's president and previously chaired the AU, had been put forward as the bloc's preferred nominee, but the process was complicated earlier this year when Nigeria publicly objected to how he was designated as the AU's consensus candidate, exposing divisions among African states over the bid.
Premium Times and Leadership both report that Sall has now withdrawn from contention, with Leadership noting the move came a day after an informal UN Security Council straw poll failed to produce a clear frontrunner. Neither report details who Sall's rivals were, how the Security Council poll was conducted, or what Nigeria's specific objections entailed, leaving open questions about how the AU will now proceed in backing a candidate for the UN's top job.