ODM endorses Raila Odinga as presidential candidate

The ODM National Executive Committee (NEC) has Thursday endorsed their party leader Raila Odinga as the presidential candidate in the August 9, elections.

Raila will vie on an Azimio la Umoja coalition ticket.

The decision was reached during a meeting held at a Nairobi hotel ahead of the National Governing Council meeting to be held on Friday and the National Delegated Conference on Saturday.

The NEC also came to an agreement that it is proposed to the NGC to ratify the decision by the Orange Democratic Movement to formally join the Azimio la Umoja Coalition/ Coalition Party.

The National Elections Board during the meeting was also directed to forthwith invite applications for candidates seeking the party’s ticket for positions of Governor, MP and Member of County Assembly.

The move by ODM deals a blow to businessman Jimi Wanjigi who has been seeking the ticket for his presidential bid.

Wanjigi moved to court to challenge the upcoming ODM NDC saying it was convened irregularly.

The businessman, who has since declared his interest in the presidential seat, filed a petition at the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal through his proxies.

The businessman had roped in 15 regional ODM chairmen in his petition.

In the court documents, he said the party should undergo a nomination process in filling its presidential candidate ahead of the August 9 general election.

In the suit, the businessman also said the conveners of the NDC failed to include approximately 1200 delegates who are mandated to attend the two-day event set for Friday and Saturday this week.

The Tribunal however dismissed the case ruling that the application to stop the NDC, which is set to endorse the former Prime Minister as the party’s presidential flag bearer, was premature and lacked merit.

According to the tribunal, party members opposed to the NDC had not demonstrated that they had exhausted the party’s internal dispute resolution mechanisms before approaching the court and upheld a preliminary objection raised by ODM that PPDT lacked jurisdiction to handle the dispute.

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