Wycliffe Oparanya and Hassan Joho, ODM deputy party leaders, have officially renounced their presidential ambitions in favor of Raila Odinga, the party’s leader.
Raila, according to Oparanya, has more experience and hence is the best candidate to lead the party.
“I also wanted to be president but having looked at the climate, and Raila being more experienced than I am, I am withdrawing my bid today in support of Raila,” he said.
“I do hereby propose that Raila be our next candidate in the August elections. We are giving him all the powers to go out there and negotiate with other leaders to ensure he becomes the 5th president.”
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Raila was announced as the ODM party’s presidential candidate for the August 9 elections on Thursday.
The declaration came following a meeting of the ODM National Executive Committee on Thursday at Chungwa House in Nairobi.
The party’s intention to join the Azimio la Umoja coalition was also approved by the NEC.
“That it be proposed to the NGC to ratify the decision by NEC that the Orange Democratic Movement formally joins the Azimio la Umoja coalition/ coalition party,” ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna said in a statement.
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The action was a setback for billionaire Jimi Wanjigi, who had hoped to run for presidency on the ODM ticket.
Wanjigi had gone to court to have the ODM NDC set for Friday and Saturday canceled after the presidential candidate’s nomination did not appear on the program.
The billionaire requested that the party place the presidential candidate contest on the schedule so that he may compete with Raila for the ODM ticket.
The court, on the other hand, decided not to suspend the ODM NDC.
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The complainants filed the petition early, according to the Tribunal’s Vice Chairman, Wilfred Mutubwa, and did not exhaust the internal conflict resolution channels.
“We note that this dispute pitted members of the same political party. In the interest of fostering party cohesion and encouraging the parties to attempt internal dispute settlement, we will not award costs,” said Mutubwa.
“The respondents’ preliminary objections is upheld, the complaint is struck out, there are no orders as to costs.”
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