ODM presidential aspirant Jimmy Wanjigi has disapproved Raila’s suggestion of handpicking aspirants for various elective seats ahead of party nominations.
Speaking in Thika, Kiambu County on Thursday, November 18, where he met university students to rally behind his presidential bid, the politician-cum-businessman asked the ODM leader to stop playing cards with the party’s nominations.
Wanjigi who hopes to beat the former Prime Minister in the party primaries and fly the ODM flag in the upcoming elections said delegates should be allowed to select leaders in all the elective positions as stipulated in the party constitution.
“Yesterday, he (Raila Odinga) made a comment about nominations being a consensus arrangement… You know this party belongs to Kenyans and the people must decide who they want,” Jimmy Wanjigi said.
While accused his party competitor of using shortcuts to get the ODM presidential ticket by imposing leaders on the people Wanjigi said the plan will deny the party a good number of wins in the 2022 General Election.
Wanjigi’s remarks came barely a day after the 2022 presidential front runner Raila Odinga welcomed the consensus method as a way to avert nominations disputes in the ODM party ahead of the 2022 General Election.
Raila while advocating for the use of consensus encouraged dialogue among contestants to settle on the person who will fly the party ticket.
Raila who was speaking in Kibra on Wednesday, November 17, said the consensus method will be applied first, followed by two other methods.
“The first one will be consensus, while the delegates system will be the second option. The third option will be the use of party members with membership cards and not just IDs,” he said.
Raila further promised goodies to all those who would not be picked to contest for various elective seats saying they will be considered in other engagements once he forms the next government.
“ODM is a party of democracy. We will not forsake those who will have lost the nomination. All those who will lose will be considered in other engagements,” Raila Odinga said.
