Boost for ex-Wajir governor as elders endorse him to recapture the seat in 2022
Former Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi on Tuesday got a major boost in his bid to recapture the seat after his larger Degodia clan endorsed him as a sole candidate to succeed Governor Ahmed Ali Muktar.
Abdullahi got the crucial “blessings” after representatives from nine of the ten 10 Degodia sub-clans held a meeting in various parts of Wajir town on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
They included gelible, masare, jibrail, dumaal, fardanow, abrisha, idiris and raqay of the dominant Degodia clan.
The endorsement excluded the Fai community which has lined up at least three candidates for the same seat.
They are Ugas Sheikh Mohamed, Nairobi South Hospital proprietor Hassan Mohamed and Environment CAS Mohamed Elmi.
The Tuesday meeting brought together about 500 elders from Nairobi, Mombasa, Wajir, Mandera and Garissa.
This came days after Abdullahi who is famously known as Jiir was also endorsed by his Mantaan sub tribe on Sunday to vie for the seat.
“Cognizant of the political atmosphere in the country, we the Mantaan community nominate, the first governor of Wajir Ahmed Abdullahi, as our gubernatorial candidate for the 2022 general elections,” Abdirashid Salat, a spokesman of the Mantaan Council of Elders said after the five hour meeting.
Salat went on: “We the Mantaan community will also endeavor to seek support from all other tribes and electorates in Wajir County,”
“Having being long supporters of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), we have also agreed to support the Presidential candidacy of Raila Amollo Odinga to be our president,” he added.
His sentiments were shared by Omar Hajji who said that Mantaan sultanate and elders agreed to support former county boss due to his credentials and sterling performance during his inaugural regime.
“President Uhuru Kenyatta has been to Wajir County and launched almost nine projects, and even spoke in the National Assembly where he said the example of devolution at work was in our county between 2013 and 2017,” Hajji observed.
“Because of his past record and performance, we had no trouble in settling for him as our 2022 governor, and we know that he will also be endorsed by our brothers from the Ajuran and Degodia clans, ” Hajji, a former KANU chairman and Hadado councilor added, even as he rallied residents to back Jiir’s bid.
In Wajir, politics revolves around the Degodia, Ogaden and Ajuran clans.
With the help of elders, Abdullahi is expected to form coalitions with Ogaden and Ajuran sub-clans who are expected to share, the deputy Governor slot , Senatorial and Women representative positions.
In an interview with People Daily on Wednesday, Abdullahi said that he is humbled and honored by the immense support and goodwill wishes from the larger Degodia community.
“This follows the recent endorsement of my candidacy by the Mantaan family,” Abdullahi told People Daily on Wednesday.
“I have promised my people progressive and transparent service delivery if elected Wajir County Governor in 2022. I will forever be grateful of their unconditional support,” he added.
Abdullahi, a strong ally of ODM leader Raila Odinga, is credited with setting up county structures and generally transforming them.
Abdullahi, now a senior economic adviser on World bank projects to Treasury CS Ukur Yatani regretted that the county has fallen from grace to grass saying the top on his list will be reviving hope and correct the mistakes made by his predecessor.
“In 2013, my pledge of service guided my administration in establishing a platform that led to the progress made until 2017.
In August 2022, we will start our journey to restore hope and make Wajir Rise Again,” he said.
“I promise to uphold the dignity, pride and great name of Wajir by serving reer Wajeer equally if elected again as a Governor in 2022 InshaAllah,” he stated.
Wajir County has a population of 720,000 and an area of 55,840.6 km2.
The expansive and Wajir county whose residents are mainly pastrolasits borders Ethiopia to the north, to the northeast by Mandera County, to the east by Somalia, to the south by Garissa County, to the west by Isiolo and to the northwest by Marsabit County.
Wajir town is the capital of the Wajir County. It has 162,902 registered voters and 434 polling stations.
It also has 6 constituencies namely Eldas, Tarbaj, Wajir North, Wajir West, Wajir East, and Wajir South.
In the last election, Wajir North had 24,550 voters, Wajir East (26,964), Tarbaj (19,699), Wajir West (27,544), Eldas (18,676) and Wajir South (45,469)
