The ODM enters a make-or-break moment today as it conducts primaries in key strongholds, with the exercise touted as a potential trigger for internal revolt if mishandled.
Party bastions in Orange bases especially in Nyanza are on high alert, with aspirants and supporters warning against bias and backroom deals that have haunted ODM primaries in the past.
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Five aspirants are squaring it today in Kasipul to replace the late Ong’ondo Were who was gunned in the city on April 30.
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They are Boyd Were, George Otieno alias Ajo Mbuta, Okindo Majiwa, Ottoman Adele and Newton Ogada.
In Ugunja, three aspirants—Fredrick Owino, Moses Omondi and Joseph Alur—are battling for the ODM party ticket to run for the MP seat, which remained vacant after Opiyo Wandayi was appointed to serve in the Executive last year.
Siaya will go to the polls on Friday.
Already, whispers of favouritism and manipulation are reverberating in the two constituencies where contests are fierce.
In Kasipul, Homa Bay deputy governor Oyugi Magwanga has alleged of a plot by the Raila Odinga-led party to impose a candidate on voters.
Magwanga, the former area MP, in a viral video warned residents against electing Ong’ondo Were’s son.
“When the former Kasipul MP Peter Owidi died, did the party give a direct ticket to the relatives? And what about former Ndhiwa MP Orwa Ojode, was the wife given the ticket? Even in Malava, the son of the late Moses Mululu Injende was not given a direct ticket and he lost at the nomination. We must reject the project,” he said.
His remarks were immediately countered by National Assembly Minority Whip Millie Odhiambo who called for civility ahead of today’s polls.
“It is in public domain that that Magwanga and Ong’ondo were sworn political enemies. Their political competition was often marked with a lot of violence, allegedly orchestrated by supporters of both sides,” Millie said.
“Hon Ong’ondo Were is dead, his son is vying. Magwanga doesn’t need to support him but does not need to further the political bile and antagonism for another generation.”
Yesterday, the aspirants traded barbs with each calling for a fair play during the exercise which some claim is already ‘rigged’.
“They want to interfere with this nomination; we must have a free and fair exercise. Let the people decide, don’t decide in your house and impose on the people,” aspirant Newton Ogada said.
Adele and Otieno too warned against any attempt to meddle in the polls warning the party stands to lose the November 27 by-elections if the will of the people is thwarted.
“We do not know who the Returning Officers are, we demand that all aspirants are involved. If the will of the people will be frustrated then ODM must be prepared to lose Kasipul seat because the people of Kasipul are watching,” Adele said.
Boyd Were called for peaceful process even as he alleged of plans to sponsor violence to disrupt the exercise.
According to Boyd, some suspicious figures have been sneaked into the constituency to cause violence and disrupt the selection process.
“We are astonished that the people who only the other day accused others of orchestrating political violence in our constituency have today mobilised murderous characters from outside our constituency to suppress the ODM nominations and blame others for it,” Boyd said.
The aspirant also claimed his supporters were being targeted after some received threats.
The same situation is also spiraling in Ugunja where Alur has raised the alarm over a plot to have known supporters of some of the candidates superintend Friday’s nomination.
“There are people who, in their Facebook and other social media postings, are aligned and rumours have it they are angling to be the referee in this contest,” Alur said.
Attempts to get a comment from ODM’s National Elections Coordinating Committee chairperson Emily Awita were frustrated as she did not respond to our calls and messages.
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