Ford People acting secretary general Mwancha Okioma yesterday opposed the move to merge with the Jubilee Party.
He dismissed a notice of merger published in the dailies early this month by acting chairman Albert Nyaundi. “The notice is irregular. As we speak, I’m in the office of the Registrar of Political Parties to raise our concerns. Ford People will not be dissolved,” Okioma, a former Kitutu Masaba MP, said.
He said he wants the party to maintain its identity, but members will support the re-election of President Uhuru Kenyatta. “What is the political wisdom of dissolving parties?” he posed.
In the notice addressed to the Registrar of Political Parties, Nyaundi said, “Pursuant to the constitution of Ford People, the National Executive Committee has adopted a resolution to merge the party with an already existing party.”
He indicated the party’s National Delegates Conference will be on September 8, to consider and ratify the decision.
Yesterday, Nyaundi said all the NEC members are invited. “Out of 25 NEC members, only three who are allied to that faction, did not attend because they knew the agenda. It is their right to attend or skip meetings,” he said.
Nyaundi said Okioma and some members skipped the meeting to build their case against the merger. “Let them continue making noise but the NDC will go on as planned. The NEC approved the merger, but it is up to the delegates to ratify or reject it,” he said.
But Okioma, who wants to run for Nyamira county governor, claims the NEC and NDC were not properly convened. “Nyaundi is working alone. We are not going to allow him continue like this. This party has members and they should be given a chance to make decisions,” he said. Okioma said he did not sign the notice to the registrar.