CPL-2026 Elections
The Conference of Plenipotentiaries hereinafter referred to as “the CPL” is the supreme organ (assembly) of the Union. Every four years, CPLs convenes in an Ordinary Session to make the most important decisions, including electing its leadership.
The next CPL will take place in Abuja, Nigeria from 23 to 24 July 2026. It will be preceded by the:
(1) Special Session of the Administrative Council (16 to 17 July 2026), and
(2) CPL Preparatory Committee (CPC) (20 to 21 July 2026).
At CPL-2026, Member States will among other things, elect the Member States that will serve on the ATU Administrative Council (the Council), as well as ATU’s Secretary-General (SG).
ATU Administrative Council
The Administrative Council is ATU’s governing body between Conferences of Plenipotentiaries. At CPL-2026, Member States will elect countries that will serve on the council for the 2027 – 2030 period, from among ATU’s 52 Member States. The Council then provides oversight and direction on behalf of the Union during the four-year interval between ordinary sessions of the CPL, and meets every year in ordinary sessions. Each elected Member State then designates its national representative to serve/act as councillors.
For administrative purposes, including the allocation of Council seats, Africa is divided into 5 ATU geographical Sub-Regions namely; Central, Eastern, Northern, Southern and Western. ATU Member States are grouped under these Sub-Regions and is aligned to the African Union sub-region groupings.
A given CPL allocates Council seats using the following principle: Half of the number of Member States of a given region (rounded up), except the Sub-Region hosting the ATU HQ which has an additional one seat reserved for the HQ host country. Based on the current ATU 52 Member States, it is anticipated that CPL-2026 allotment of seats in ATU Admin Council would be as follows:
| Sub-Region | Member States | Anticipated Allotment of seats in ATU Council at CPL-2026* |
| Central Africa (9 Member States) | Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, DRC, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and Sao Tome & Principe | 5 |
| Eastern Africa (11 Member States) | Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mauritius, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda | 7 |
| Northern Africa (6 Member States) | Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia | 3 |
| Southern Africa (11 Member States) | Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe | 6 |
| Western Africa (15 Member States) | Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo | 8 |
* The numbers in this column are indicative and thus subject to change based on the number of Member States during the CPL and other factors.
For a country to stand as a candidate for Council membership, it ought to be a Member State of the Union, and must be in good standing which entails three principal elements:
- Ratification of (or accession to) the ATU Constitution and Convention
- Being in order with their contributions (no financial contribution arrears)
- Accreditation of its delegation to the CPL concerned
There is no restriction on the number of terms a Member State may serve on the Council.
Note: There are currently no official candidatures for ATU Council.
To foster goodwill and coherence among the ATU Member States, sub-regions are encouraged to coordinate among themselves and, where possible, reach a consensus on presenting candidate countries equal to or less than the allotted number for the sub-region concerned. This is expressly provided for under Article 2(2)(2.2) of the ATU Convention. Consensus is encouraged but not mandated.
Where a sub-region does not reach consensus, actual voting would take place in accordance with Article 2(2)(2.3) of the ATU Convention. Voting is normally conducted in a single round and the candidate countries obtaining the highest number of votes within the seats allotted to that sub-region are elected for the 2027 – 2030 period. Where there is a tie affecting the final places, the result may be resolved through a second round of voting (Special Ballot) involving only the candidate countries concerned.
There is no restriction on the number of terms a Member State may serve on the Council.
ATU Secretary General
The Secretary General is the executive head of the Union and is elected at the CPL by a secret ballot. Each ATU Member State is entitled to one vote, subject to being in good standing. The next SG election will take place at CPL-2026 in Abuja, Nigeria from 23 – 24 July 2026.
The ATU SG position is not subject to mandatory sub-regional rotation
Nominations are not subject to mandatory sub-regional procedures or agreements, and hence multiple Member States from a given sub-region could present candidates.
The election process is initiated by an official call for nominations of candidates issued six (6) months before the start of CPL-2026.
For CPL-2026, nominations close on 23 June 2026. The final list of valid nominated candidates is published on 24 June 2026 following vetting by the Credentials Committee. The Credentials Committee verifies compliance with the ATU Constitution and Convention and the ATU Electoral Guidelines for the SG position as summarised below.
The list of nominated candidates refers to individuals officially nominated by their respective countries and whose nominations have been duly received by the ATU Secretariat. The list below is continually updated as candidatures are received. Please note that all entries remain provisional until formally validated.
Note 1: Before closure of the nomination period (which closes on 23 June 2026), the list is subject to change. The final list of nominated candidates will be published on 24 June 2026.
Note 2: The list of valid candidates will only be available on the voting day itself (24 July 2026).
The validity of the candidature of an individual is subject to the following conditions:
- The nominating country should have ratified (or acceded to) the ATU Constitution and Convention.
- The nominating country can only nominate its national.
- The nominating country should have no outstanding contributions at the date of the election.
- The nominating country should present the nomination via its diplomatic channels.
- The nomination should have reached the ATU Secretariat not later than 30 days prior to CPL-2026.
- The nominated candidate meets the minimum qualifications.
- The nominated individual should not have served two terms as ATU SG.
- Compliant with the ATU Electoral Guidelines for SG position.
Following closure of the nomination period, the Secretariat publishes the final list of nominated candidates (24 June 2026). On the voting day itself (24 July 2026), the Credentials Committee confirms the list of valid candidates. Only valid candidates appear on the final ballot for the election.
The following summarises the key elements around the voting:
- Voting is restricted to ATU Member States (i.e. Associate Members, and Academia Members do not vote).
- To vote, a given Member State must be in good standing, which requires the following:
- should have ratified (or acceded to) the ATU Constitution and Convention
- should not have failed to honour its financial obligations for a period of two consecutive years
- should have an accredited delegation with credentials signed by its Head of State, Head of Government or Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Each eligible/valid vote counts as one vote (i.e. votes are not weighted).
- Voting is by secret ballot.
- Winning thresholds are set out in Article 3(2) of the ATU Convention and may be summarised as follows:
- Two-thirds majority in initial rounds where there are more than two candidates on the ballot
- Simple majority in later rounds following the elimination of candidates in initial voting rounds
The SG elected at CPL-2026 will serve from 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2030. The incumbent SG continues to serve up to 31 December 2026.
The SG’s term is four (4) years and the SG is eligible for re-election once only,meaning the maximum tenure is two terms (8 years).
List of Nominated Candidates
| Name | Photo | Member State | Nomination Date | Curriculum Vitae (CV) | Vision Statement |
| Eng. Kezias Kazuba MWALE |  | Republic of Zambia
| 2nd February 2026 | Curriculum Vitae – En | Vision Statement – En |
