ODM leader Dr. Oburu Oginga has declared that the party will conduct free and fair nominations this time round, insisting that no candidate will be favored because of closeness to the party leadership.
Dr. Oginga urged young people to come forward and seek elective seats through ODM, saying the party has plans to actively promote youthful leadership ahead of the 2027 General Election.
“Under my leadership, I will ensure nominations are free and fair, and young people will have their opportunity,” said Dr. Oginga, 82.
He spoke yesterday during the ODM Youth Convention held at Jamhuri Grounds in Nairobi.
The event was attended by senior ODM officials, including Chairperson Gladys Wanga and Mining Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho.
Dr. Oginga’s remarks come at a time when the party has previously lost seats to rivals due to disputes over nominations, favoritism, and the issuance of direct tickets.
During the 2022 General Election, ODM gave up the Nairobi governor seat to Jubilee despite their candidate Tim Wanyonyi, the Westlands MP, enjoying considerable popularity. The seat was eventually won by UDA.
Yesterday, Dr. Oginga made it clear that ODM would not enter into any future seat-sharing arrangement in Nairobi, saying the party intends to retain and even increase its number of parliamentary seats.
“We are targeting more seats, but we must first ensure our supporters register as voters so that we have enough votes,” said the Bondo MP.
ODM has recently faced internal divisions, with factions such as Linda Mwananchi and Linda Ground, the latter associated with Dr. Oginga, emerging within the party.
Yesterday, he appeared to direct criticism at Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna, saying he would not allow the party to be divided by leaders who contradict resolutions agreed upon in ODM leadership meetings and later claim they are speaking for the party.
“The party cannot be turned into chaos by leaders making personal statements outside and then claiming those are party positions. One person cannot take a stand, speak differently, and then claim it is the official party position,” he added.
His remarks were supported by Governor Gladys Wanga, who said ODM remains strong even after the death of its party leader Raila Odinga.
Nairobi County ODM Chairperson George Aladwa said party structures must be respected to maintain ODM’s popularity in the capital.
“We will defend our party leadership, and in 2027 ODM must win all parliamentary seats in Nairobi. Personally, I will be contesting for governor,” said Mr. Aladwa.
Every leader who spoke at the event emphasized that ODM must be cautious in its alliance with UDA to avoid being politically swallowed.
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