Exposed: The truth why ODM withdrew from Wajir West by-election

The Orange Democratic Movement party has withdrawn from Wajir West by-election scheduled April 25th this year.

The decision, the party says, was arrived at after a high consultative meeting with Jubilee party. Further, the statement states, the move was to reciprocate to Jubilee’s decision to pull out in three past key by-elections.

”It was a kind gesture for ODM to withdraw for Jubilee from the Wajir West parliamentary seat. Uniting the country requires avoiding petty fights in favor of national unity. No one is a winner in these by elections which seem to divert our attention from the anti corruption fight”- Sospeter Otieno

“The Orange Democratic Movement wishes to communicate to its members that it will notparticipate in the upcoming Wajir-West by-elections scheduled for April 25, 2019 as earlier announced.

“The party has arrived at this decision following consultations with the top leadership of the Jubilee Party during which we agreed to reciprocate Jubilee’s earlier decision to withdraw from the Migori, Ugenya and Embakasi South by-elections,”

According to the party, it will not participate or take sides in the by-election just as Jubilee party did in the aforementioned constituencies. It’s however not clear whether the ODM candidate Prof Yusuf Elmi has consented to the decision.

“Just as Jubilee did in the three recent by-elections, ODM will not take sides in the contest in Wajir West. We wish victory to the best candidate,” the statement read.

This means that the contest will now be narrowed to Jubilee’s Ahmed Kolosh and KANU’s Ibrahim Mohamud. Mr Ibrahim overturned Kolosh’s victory after a long battle that ended in the Supreme Court.

Apparently, Mr Kolosh won the seat on ODM in 2017 but decamped to Jubilee after losing in a petition. President Uhuru Kenyatta ushered him officially on Friday at State House where he was accompanied by Aden Duale.

ODM Director of Elections Junet Mohammed said in a statement on Saturday that the party is evaluating performance in Ugenya and Embakasi South before making any adjustments in campaign strategies.