This comes even as Otuoma (pictured) called off his planned demonstration that was to take place Tuesday to force the party to hand him the ticket for the Busia seat and disqualify Governor Ojaamong’ whose win was nullified on Friday/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya Apr 18 – The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General Agnes Zani has now intervened to resolve a nomination dispute between Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong and his competitor Paul Otuoma (Funyula MP) after the result of the primary poll was nullified.
This comes even as Otuoma called off his planned demonstration that was to take place Tuesday to force the party to hand him the ticket for the Busia seat and disqualify Governor Ojaamong, whose win was nullified on Friday.
Zani told a news conference at Orange House that the party organs will engage the two in negotiations to find an amicable solution to the dispute and forestall a fallout within the party.
“Governor Ojaamong and Otuoma are both our members and as a party we are open to negotiations and so at this level we are going to pursue interaction with both our members and be able to find a way forward because for me and for ODM, what is critical is that we are a party, first and foremost,” she said.
“What happened last time around needs to be investigated further but there is a proposal that has been put to facilitate a repeat poll, of which some member of the party might be willing and the other might not be willing. So we are going to put into place our mechanism and we are going to find a way forward that is amicable to both the candidates and we will inform them of that way forward.”
The ODM National Elections Board Chairperson Judith Pareno ordered that the Busia gubernatorial repeat nomination will only be held in Teso North and Teso South on April 25.
She said a repeat poll was the best option given the nature of the dispute.
But the Funyula MP vowed to boycott the exercise insisting that repeating the nomination would be rewarding Ojaamong’ “who should be punished for the rigging claims in his strongholds.”
Otuoma garnered 63,752 votes against incumbent Governor Ojaamong’s 92,358, sparking protests from Otuoma’s supporters before he rejected the results.
According to IEBC timelines for nominations of candidates, political parties have until April 26 to nominate their candidates for Governor, Senate, National Assembly, County Woman Representatives and Member of County Assembly (MCAs).
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