Mombasa governorship race divides ODM branch officials
Mombasa governorship race is shaping into a bitter-sweet contest between frontline rivals Abdulswamad Sharrif Nassir and Suleiman Shahbal as more leaders continue to rally support behind aspirants of their choice.
Yesterday, Jomvu MP Badi Twalib rallied ODM party members and aspirants for various wards in his constituency to support Nassir’s quest for governorship.
“The leader who we have worked with, who we understand better and has a brilliant track record to take after Governor Hassan Joho is none other than Abdulswamad Sharrif Nassir.
I say this without fear of contradiction because in leadership we don’t beat about the bush,” Twalib told aspirants and ODM grassroot leaders in his constituency yesterday.
While calling on aspirants to mobilise residents to ensure they register as voters ahead of next year’s general election, the legislator called for support of ODM leader Raila Odinga’s presidency and Nassir for Mombasa governorship.
“We need to unite and work together with a primary goal of electing Raila Odinga as the fifth president.
2022 will be my third time going for Jomvu parliamentary but it pains me that we have failed to elect Odinga in 2007, 2013 and 2017.
This time round I believe 2022 he will go to the State House,” Twalib said: “Yesterday we saw Raila picking Joho to go and represent him in national politics having completed his term.
That was a good gesture by Raila and so we want as Joho leaves, he leaves us in the safe hands of Nassir.”
Preferred candidate
Twalib’s call comes shortly after Governor Joho sent the strongest indications that Nassir will be his preferred candidate to replace him as the next Mombasa governor in a gesture that has sparked negative reactions from Shahbal camp.
Raila Odinga’s grassroot advisor Oginga Randiki, the officials said the party and its party leader have not preferred candidates in Mombasa or any other part of the country and cautioned the public against misleading interpretations.
“When we listen to Governor Joho’s remark which was made in Kiswahili “Nawaambia hawa Abdulswamad wanataka Ugavana, safari ndio hii muelekeo tumeweka.”
It is obvious that at no point at all in his address did Joho express partisan statements or shown his preference for honorable Abduswamad Sharrif Nassir,” said Randiki adding Raila himself has been explicit that he is not going to endorse anyone.
But at the same time a section of ODM supporters and members of Bunge la wananchi asked the Party leadership to stop sending mixed signals concerning Mombasa governorship.
They said such utterances by party leadership can result in rifts that could injure the party’s popularity in the region.
Yesterday Shahbal handlers dismissed Joho’s move as inconsequential as “the party leader Raila Odinga has taken a position that he will not endorse anyone.”
Shahbal shrugged off Joho’s apparent favour for Nassir saying he will continue with his campaigns undeterred.
“Raila has made it clear what he expects from us. We are focused on the people. We need the endorsement and the support of the people.
Shahbal has gone to 18 wards meeting the people through the Gumzo na Shahbal to date.
He started the Youth for Shahbal, a door-to-door campaign movement which has covered 29 wards,” said a statement from Shahbal’s team.
The two ODM governorship aspirants have put up an intense campaign going for each other’s jugular as the contest to succeed governor Hassan Joho reaches fever pitch.
Recently, Shahbal tore into Nassir’s record, challenging him to account for Sh1 billion National Government Constituency Development Fund NG-CDF, his Constituency has received in close to two terms he has served as an MP in Mvita Constituency.
“We cannot allow a remote control to govern this city. We have to protect our county by not allowing people who can be controlled by others to take charge of the county. Mombasa deserves better, not a project,” he said.
But on his part Nassir took issue with the “project” jibe terming it an insult and warned his rival to brace for political showdown like never before.
