The ODM party has dismissed reports of having a secret lineup of preferred party candidates in Raila Odinga’s strongholds ahead of the 2022 General Election.
This is after reports emerged that Siaya Senator James Orengo is among the list of preferred party candidates for the Siaya gubernatorial seat in the 2022 elections.
Party Secretary General Edwin Sifuna on Tuesday, October 12, said the party has not settled on any candidate for any elective position including that of the presidential flag bearer.
“ODM party leadership has read with interest, reports appearing in a section of the media to the effect that there is a line-up for various elective positions in Siaya County,
“We wish to categorically state that the party has not settled on any candidate for any of the elective seats anywhere,” Sifuna said in a statement.
Sifuna said over years, even the most senior ODM party officials have had to go through the party nominations processes adding that this will not change.
He further said the ODM National Elections Board (NEB) is the only organ mandated to deal with all matters pertaining to party elections and nomination of candidates for various positions adding that no other organ or individual can purport to do the same.
He said even though the party can resort to the use of consensus in finding its preferred party candidates, the ODM party is yet to roll out the 2022 nomination program.
“We acknowledge that consensus is one of the four methods our Party Elections and Nomination Rules provide for but this can be only be initiated by the NEB, which has yet to roll out 2022 Party primaries’ program,” Sifuna added.
Earlier on, Siaya Senator James Orengo had termed as ‘fake’ reports that he was among those in the party leader Raila Odinga’s list of preferred candidates in the Siaya gubernatorial race.
