Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s bid to vie for the presidency on the yet-to-be registered Azimio la Umoja coalition ticket in the August 9, General Election has received a major boost.
This was after ODM deputy party leader Wycliffe Oparanya and his Mombasa counterpart Hassan Joho officially dropped their presidential ambitions for their party leader Raila Odinga.
Speaking on Friday, February 25, during the ODM National Delegates Convention at the Bomas of Kenya, the outgoing Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya said Raila is the most experienced presidential ticket contender.
“I also wanted to be president but having looked at the climate, and Raila being more experienced than I am, I am withdrawing my bid today in support of Raila,
“I do hereby propose that Raila be our next candidate in the August elections. We are giving him all the powers to go out there and negotiate with other leaders to ensure he becomes the 5th president,” Oparanya said.
Their move to withdraw from contending for the ODM presidential ticket comes just a day after the ODM National Executive Committee unanimously picked Raila as the Azimio la Umoja preferred presidential candidate.
“The National Executive Committee of the party met this morning in Nairobi in preparation for the National Governing Council Meeting to be held tomorrow and the National delegate’s conference scheduled for Saturday,
“Amongst the matter discussed were that the NGC/NDC of the party proposed Raila Amolo Odinga as the Presidential Candidate for the Azimio la Umoja coalition/Coalition party,” the letter read in part.
Both Oparanya and Hassan Joho had in 2021 expressed their ambitions to battle it out with the former Prime Minister Raila Odinga for the ODM ticket.
According to ODM director of elections Junet Mohammed, the duo had even paid the KSh 1 million nomination fee as required by the party.
