NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 22 – The Wiper Party is mulling going to court to challenge the ruling by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) dispute resolution committee to revoke Mike Sonko candidature for the Mombasa Governor’s race.
Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has insisted that the move to reject Sonko’s candidature was unlawful and amounted to double standards.
Musyoka questioned why the poll agency cleared Sonko to vie as Nairobi Governor and have now moved to bar his bid in Mombasa.
“We are going to court, and we want justice for Sonko. IEBC knows that Sonko has an active appeal in court and these other things they are talking about to do with his papers. They are forgetting they cleared him in 2017,” Kalonzo said.
The Wiper Leader insisted they will not leave the issue lying down saying a battery of lawyers were preparing a solid case to challenge the IEBC verdict.
In a ruling delivered on Monday, the tribunal chaired by IEBC commissioner Justus Nyang’aya, upheld the decision of the Mombasa County Returning Officer who had rejected Sonko’s clearance on account that he failed to submit his original University academic degree certificate which is in breach of the Constitution.
Nyang’aya said as provided for in Section 22 (1) (b) one must submit a degree certificate which is a requirement that bounds all aspirants, and the aspirant was under obligation to present it.
He noted that certification by an advocate is not allowed even though he used the same document for clearance in the 2017 poll.
Sonko, in his complaint, had argued that it was wrong for the returning officer to disqualify him despite a pending appeal before the Supreme Court on his impeachment.
The Wiper Party was given 72 hours to nominate another candidate for the Mombasa seat and present his papers before the county returning officer in compliance with election regulations by the Commission.
