Home » Lawyer urges ODM to give equal chance for Joho, Wanjigi to challenge Raila Odinga

Lawyer urges ODM to give equal chance for Joho, Wanjigi to challenge Raila Odinga

by Nderi Caren

Lawyer Ahmednassir Abdullahi has asked the ODM Party to give equal chances to all presidential hopefulls seeking to challenge Raila Odinga for the party’s ticket in the 2022 General Election.

The lawyer called on ODM’s Director of Elections who is also the Suna East MP Junet Mohammed to give equal chances to businessman Jimmy Wanjigi and Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho who have expressed their interests in the seat.

“Junet Mohamed as ODM’s Director of Elections must conduct an open and credible process for the election for ODM’s Presidential nominee,

Lawyer urges ODM to give equal chance for Joho, Wanjigi to challenge Raila Odinga.
Lawyer urges ODM to give equal chance for Joho, Wanjigi to challenge Raila Odinga. Photo: ODM/Twitter.

“Both Governor Joho & Jimmy Wanjigi must be given a level playing field & none of the traditional skullduggery tactics of the party should be deployed,” Ahmednassir wrote in a tweet.

In a past tweet, Ahmednassir said that Jimmy Wanjigi is in a position to defeat Raila Odinga if ODM holds fair nominations.

“Let us be open about this…Jimmy Wanjigi in a free and fair party nomination will soundly beat Raila (Odinga)for ODM Presidential ticket,” he said.

The lawyer’s call to have candidates seeking to challenge Raila Odinga to be given equal chances comes after a similar call from presidential aspirant Jimmy Wanjigi.

During his visit to Chungwa House on August 26, Wanjigi told the party’s Secretary General Edwin Sifuna to give all aspirants equal chances.

He further urged the party to allow candidates who had not submitted their nomination papers for the presidential ticket to do so.

“We would want the party to consider reopening applications for the presidential aspirants. We are expecting that you will hear our plea and open another window to allow us to make applications,” said Jimmy Wanjigi.

While responding to Wanjigi’s request, Edwin Sifuna said the party is not in a rush to choose its presidential flag bearer and there are four options stipulated under its constitution.

“The rules provide four ways of nominating party candidates. You can have nomination through consensus, direct ticket, delegates or through universal suffrage,” Sifuna stated. 

The model of Kenya’s political parties is that the party leader- in this case Raila Odinga- always ends up getting the party’s presidential ticket.

ODM has however previously said it Raila is not guaranteed a direct presidential ticket and will have to battle out with other contestants.

Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya also expressed interest in the party’s ticket to vie for the presidency but later said if Raila shall still be vying, he will shelve his ambitions in favour of the party leader.

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