Mbadi hits out at ODM election board over nominations
ODM national chairman John Mbadi has accused the party’s election board of bungling the recent nominations.
He claimed the Catherine Mumma-led board mismanaged the exercise in the party’s strongholds.
He was addressing mourners last Friday in his first public appearance in his constituency after dropping out of the Homa Bay governor race.
“As a party, we procured the digital tablets to help us in the party primaries, but in award like Gwasi South, one aspirant hid the tablets and was eventually announced the winner in the shambolic party primaries, that is totally unacceptable. The will of the people must now prevail,” Mbadi said in Mukuyu village, Suba South constituency.
Mbadi maintained that Homa Bay ODM governor candidate Gladys Wanga and Suba South parliamentary candidate Caroli Omondi were not democratically nominated and asked the electorate to vote them out in the August 9 elections.
Disciplined player
The Suba South MP also accused the board of frustrating party officials efforts to carry out smooth campaigns for the Azimio Coalition presidential candidate Raila Odinga.
He asked his constituents to only vote for Raila as their party’s presidential candidate, and amid cheers, asked supporters to choose whoever leader they wanted as governor, senator, MP and MCA.
“I have come a long way with Raila Odinga since 1992 when I was at the university, and as my team manager, when he tells me to sit on the bench for this semi final and await the finals, as a disciplined player, I have to take directives, that’s why I stepped down as a governor aspirant, which I knew I was a front runner,” he added.
Stephene Sangira, the independent candidate for the Suba South MP seat, said Mbadi told Wanga and Caroli to tame their supporters who have waged war against him on social media.
“I am only 51, this is not the end of Mbadi, I am in politics to stay, don’t write me off yet, but if the attacks against my persona continue, I will hit back hard,” Mbadi warned.
Sangira urged the mourners to come out in large numbers and vote for a Raila presidency.
“As a community, if we lose this opportunity of electing Raila, we will wait for another 50 years, let us not be distracted by side shows in ODM, Raila is the Azimio Coalition candidate, a coalition of more than 20 parties, it’s our Mandela moment,” he said. After the bungled party primaries, aggrieved aspirants vowed to vie as independent candidates across the party strongholds, especially in Luo Nyanza in protest, an issue that has shaken the parties rank and file.
