Nairobi, Kenya Nov 11- Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) presidential aspirant Jimi Wanjigi’s quest for the party’s ticket has received a major boost after officials from 12 counties endorsed his candidature.
The officials endorsed his candidature as the tycoon demanded that the party’s National Elections Board re-open the contest for the presidential ticket following its suspension in February this year.
Wanjigi, who has vowed to challenge ODM party leader Raila Odinga during nominations, said that long-standing members of the party must always be accorded a front seats in party matters after a number of those attending the meeting said that they had been side-lined in recent developments.
“We receive Mr Wanjigi into our regions to campaign after locking him out for a while. He has been using the wrong delegates. But he was not fed with the right delegates by the national office. It was very unfair to the office to deny any ODM member the rightful office bearers of the party. As mountain and Lower Eastern people, we were scared about wrangles. Today we are happy that he will use the set structures in the party and we as chairmen will welcome him to campaign among our delegates,” said Embu County chairman Moses Wamuru.
Wanjigi who announced his candidature in July this year stated that his strategy for winning the top ODM seat involves persuading majority of the delegates who will attend the National Delegates Conference and who are capped by the party constitution at 3,000.
The party’s National Elections Board suspended the process of identifying the party’s presidential flag bearer in April this year amid Covid-19 lockdown measures.
Wanjigi thanked the officials for endorsing his candidature and repeated his demands to the National Elections Board to re-open the presidential ticket contest after its suspension in April.
“The presidential contest must be reopened now. We also expect a transparent process down to the MCA level. It must be transparent. It must be free and fair. We are in this to make sure the party is stronger not weaker. It is our right as members to demand free, fair, transparent nominations for all positions,” Wanjigi said.
He further stated that long-standing members of the party must always be accorded a seat at the front in party matters after a number of those attending the meeting said that they had been side-lined in recent developments.
“The members with me are founders. We are a party that is going to accommodate many. We must never forget our founders who have ensured that the party is strong 16 years. We like new friends, but we must not leave our old friends behind,” he said.
Among those who spoke on behalf of the group include Wamuru (Chairman Embu and coordinator Upper Eastern), Rev John Njenga (Chairman, Nyandarua), Jacob Mwanza (Chairman, Machakos).
Those who attended the meeting include Pius Kithome (Makueni), Peter Munyasia (Kitui), Daniel Mule (Machakos), Mwasia Njeru (Tharaka Nithi), George Kinge (Kiambu), KCN Kabiru (vice chairman Embu), Thomas Ng’ang’a (Murang’a), Fredrick Mwirigi (Meru), Ali Nur (Marsabit), Njagi Ngare (Kirinyaga), Halima Godana and David Ndede (Isiolo), Jack Munoru (Meru), Captain Juma Njagi (Tharaka-Nithi) and J.M. Mworia (Meru).
Two days ago Wanjigi filed a preliminary objection to strike out a petition seeking to compel the ODM party to take action against him for declaring his presidential bid without following internal procedures.
The ODM Presidential aspirant in his preliminary objection argues that the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal has no jurisdiction to hear and arbitrate on the matter filed last week.
“That this honourable tribunal has no jurisdiction on the basis of Section 40(2) of the political parties’ act and the matter has been filed herein in the abuse of established laws and procedures,” he said through his lawyers.
Wanjigi who has been listed as an interested party in the notice of motion now wants the Catherine Wanjiku Irungu the petitioner compelled to use the ODM party internal dispute tribunal mechanism to resolve her complains.
“The applicant has not exhausted the internal party dispute resolution mechanism as required by law hence this suit falls foul of the principle of exhaustion,” the notice read.
He wants the notice of motion against him struck out with costs.
Irungu filed a petition at the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal challenging businessman Wanjigi’s presidential candidature ahead of the 2022 General Election.
The ODM life member faulted the Raila Odinga-led party, which is the respondent in the case, of tolerating Wanjigi’s character which she said has been abusive and causing disrepute to the party.
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