Ekuro Aukot blasts Thirdway Alliance SG over 2022 presidential race, declares candidacy
A splinter group of the Thirdway Alliance party, that is led by the former party leader Ekuru Aukot, has dismissed a statement by the party’s secretary-general Fredrick Okango indicating that the party will not field a presidential candidate in 2022.
In a statement released by Aukot and Angela Mwikali, who signed as party leader and deputy party leaders respectively, the two said the party must field a presidential candidate in the forthcoming polls.
The two told off Okango saying he has no authority to deny presidential hopefuls a chance to seek the party ticket for their ambitions.
“Our attention has been drawn to reports circulating in social media purporting that the Thirdway Alliance Kenya will not field a presidential candidate in the coming general elections. The statements are attributed to remarks made by one Fredrick Akango who has no authority to subvert the party's constitution and make a declaration that undermines not only our party and the Constitution of Kenya,” the two said in their joint statement.
They further accused Okango of running the agenda of the ODM leader Raila Odinga at the expense of the party.
The two claimed that Okango is being used by Raila’s lawyer Paul Mwangi to undermine the party constitution and also run an agenda that is friendly to the ODM leader.
According to the statement, both Aukot and Mwikali have already declared their presidential ambitions and they will be seeking the party ticket for the same.
“Our party will be fielding presidential candidates and currently Dr Angela Mwikali and Dr Ekuru Aukot have already declared interest to run. Whoever wants to go and support Raila Odinga should go to ODM,” they added in the statement.
The turn of events brings to the fore the ongoing infighting in the Thirdway Alliance party that has been characterized by wrangles among its leaders.
These wrangles saw Aukot kicked out as party leader by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party in September last year.
The NEC cited lack of civility, moral and social integrity, wanton defiance of court orders and financial impropriety as grounds of his ouster.
Registrar of Political Parties Ann Nderitu on November 18, 2020, ruled that her office was satisfied by the disciplinary process that led to Aukot’s dismissal as party leader.
“This office is satisfied that the disciplinary process followed the provisions of the PPA and procedure provided under articles 14 and 25 of the Thirdway Alliance Party constitution,” Nderitu said.
