Read through the piece below how Raila jetted back from USA, called a crisis meeting of both Jubilee and ODM politicians Wajir County and CRASHED advanced negotiations at Statehouse>>
Wajir County Governor Ahmed Abdullahi has finally brought to an end rumors and speculations of him bolting from the opposition NASA coalition and that he was joining President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee Alliance by confirming he will be vying on an ODM ticket in the forthcoming August 8th polls.
Gov. Abdullahi, who was flanked by Suna East MP Junet Mohammed, completed his formal party process at Orange House yesterday and was, confirmed the official ODM aspirant for Wajir County gubernatorial race.
The ruling Jubilee Alliance has been courting the governor for the past three weeks in order to lure him to vie for the seat using the party’s ticket and as a result abandon Raila Odingas opposition party altogether.
Inside sources intimated to Wajir Chronicles that during the said negotiations between the governor on one side, and the president and his deputy William Ruto on the other, Jubilee could not fulfill Hon. Abdullahi’s terms and conditions for defection.
The source, who didn’t want to be named because he is not allowed to speak to the press on behalf of the county leadership, revealed that the most contentious demand by the governor was his request to be given a direct ticket, inclusive of his entire line up (Senator, MPs and all MCAs), should also unconditionally be given direct Jubilee tickets as a pre-condition for him to join the ruling Alliance.
It is also believed Governor Abdullahi demanded several senior national jobs from the two Jubilee leaders which should be offered to his people of Wajir County.
As the negotiations went on, sometimes deep into the night, it is reported that Deputy President William Ruto almost scuttled the veiled negotiations, which were carefully kept away from public scrutiny, by continuing discussions and engagements with the governor’s rival Ambassador Mohammed Abdi Mohammud.
Deputy President Ruto is said to favor Ambassador Mohamud’s the Jubilee flag bearer while President Uhuru favored the incumbent ODM governor Abdullahi mainly for his super development record and being corrupt free. Ruto is faulted by majority leaders of the former Frontier Districts of unilaterally assuming control over the big pastoral communities. Many believe this assumption by the DP is wrong that is why it has backfired on Jubilee’s quest to retain even just 30% of the votes in the region. Governor Abdullahi was believed to have been angered by Deputy President Ruto’s under dealings with the other group, albeit, behind his back and threatened to abandon the entire negotiations all together.
This confusion, backstabbing and under carpet dealings led to postponement of the said highly secret negotiations to the following Monday (March 20th). Jubilee leadership was then forced to rush back to the drawing board in order to save looming fallout.
Meanwhile the ODM house was equally struggling to keep the Governor in opposition and make sure he doesn’t cross over to the ruling party – a scenario that could have dealt the opposition party a political blow.
The governor’s departure from ODM could have led to A devastating effect to opposition politics in Wajir county. Hon. Adan Keynan Wehliye, immediate former 2nd Deputy party leader recently defected to President Uhuru’s party and abandoned the opposition. The Eldas MP defected to Jubilee and currently spearheads the campaign team of Ambassador Mohamud the Jubilee governor candidate.
ODM party leader Raila Odinga, who was at the time in USA, jetted back into the country just on time to rescue two unfolding political situations crashing Uhuru’s dream of gaining a pass to Somali votes come August 8.
The ongoing negotiations, at the time, of Jubilee Alliance courting Wajir Governor to ditch the opposition, equally became an urgent matter which needed his personal intervention; bearing in mind the highly rated County 008 leader is instrumental in maintaining Wajir County as a CORDED zone.
Raila’s arrival into the country, and Deputy President Ruto’s political overtures became the game changer. Raila the political maestro immediately called for crisis talks that involved his party leadership and Wajir County leaders in order to rescue the situation and whip governor Abdullahi to remain steadfast in ODM.
It is said, the high demand for Gov. Abdullahi’s support and service by the two most popular Alliances in the country, virtually put the tough and astute county leader practically between a rock and a hard place forcing the young governor to follow the wishes of majority Somali to remain in ODM and vanquish Jubilee from power.
It is then believed that Raila’s political genius and negotiation skills finally convinced Governor 008 to remain in the opposition Alliance, ultimately ignoring the ruling Jubilee Alliance and finally completed his formal processes to scoop the ODM ticket.
It is now official, the race for Wajir County’s top job has just began and it is indeed true – politics is not for the faint hearted.
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