- Shahbal said he got a call on Thursday morning informing him of an urgent meeting at 11am in Nairobi, which was mandatory.
- According to Nassir, two polls that had been commissioned by the party showed that he was leading with a very big margin.
Image: LABAN WALLOGA
Last Thursday, ODM called Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir and his archrival Suleiman Shahbal to Chungwa House in Nairobi for an urgent meeting.
The agenda of the meeting was not immediately disclosed, according to Shahbal.
Shahbal said he received a call on Thursday morning informing him of an urgent meeting at 11am in Nairobi, which was mandatory for all governor, senator and MP aspirants.
In Nairobi, they met four individuals from the ODM National Election Board to discuss who to settle on as the most popular aspirant for Mombasa governor race.
Shahbal said he was surprised to be shown results from two previous opinion polls conducted in February and March that indicated Nassir was leading.
They said it took a lot of push and pull for the NEB to reveal the firms behind the polls and who financed them.
According to the resolutions passed during the party’s National Governing Council and the National Delegates Conference last month, consensus, delegates, direct nomination or universal suffrage were going to be used to pick aspirants.
The NEB settled on direct nomination for Mombasa after commissioning the two scientific polls.
Speaking on Sunday, during a meeting with MCA aspirants at his Nyali office, Shahbal revealed that they disputed the results from the two polls.
Infotrak has since been commissioned to conduct a third poll.
Shahbal has however insisted that Mombasa residents should be allowed to choose a leader of their choice.
“Nobody is going to play games with us this time, Mombasa people will decide who their leader is,” he said.
Last month, a private poll by Infotrak commissioned by Haki Africa, showed that Nassir was leading with 48 per cent and Shahbal at 18 per cent.
Shahbal disputed the poll results.
The businessman is not comfortable with yet another poll commissioned by ODM to be carried out by infotrak, according to those close to him.
He has instead challenged his main opponent to accept party nominations if he believes he is popular.
The ODM primaries in Mombasa had been scheduled for April 6, but the party postponed them to a later date after they failed to agree on who would fly the ODM ticket in Mombasa.
Shahbal said the political intrigues within ODM are costing the party as some individuals have since decided to decamp to other political outfits, citing lack of democracy.
“We have already lost Kwale and Kilifi is a bit shaky. If we continue with these intrigues, the region will be gone. All we are asking for is a free and fair nomination exercise just as Raila Odinga had promised,” he said.
Hisham Mwidau, who had accompanied Shahbal to Nairobi, said at first the NEB was reluctant to reveal the companies that had conducted the opinion polls that showed Nassir was leading.
Mwidau, who is vying for Mombasa Senate seat on ODM, said they successfully challenged the two opinion polls on the ground that they had failed to meet the threshold under the Electoral Opinion Polls Act.
He said for an opinion poll to be accepted, the sponsor, the company commissioned to carry out the polls, the methodology and the sample size must be made public.
“They failed to disclose who conducted and sponsored the polls. It was until we pushed for answers that is when it was revealed that the party had commissioned it,” Mwidau said.
“Furthermore, they used the Computer Assisted Telephone Interviews which can easily be manipulated.”
He said they have no faith in the third poll being undertaken by Infotrak.
Mwidau reiterated that they are not afraid of the nominations, challenging the rival camps to prepare to face the people.
“If you believe you are leading, why are you afraid of going for nominations?” he asked.
On Saturday, Nassir held a meeting with 130 ODM MCA aspirants, he revealed the intrigues that transpired during the two-day stand-off at Chungwa House.
According to Nassir, two polls that had been commissioned by the party showed that he was leading by a big margin.
“A third poll is currently underway and I have no doubt the results will be the same,” Nassir said.
He said the party was considering party loyalty, performance track record and the financial ability to fund campaigns for one to be issued with a direct ticket.
The party was also looking at one’s grassroots acceptability, integrity and gender.
“No one can doubt my loyalty to ODM. My development track record in Mvita over the last nine years speaks volumes because I am a man of integrity,” Nassir said.
He further said he was an asset to the party and not a burden given that he was capable of financing his campaign activities, he was closer and more popular to Mombasa people.
He called on his rival to respect the party and the decision that will be taken.
“During the NGC and the NDC held last month, the party resolved on various ways to get the right aspirants to fly the party flag. I urge all of us to respect the party decision and direction,” he said.
(Edited by Tabnacha O)
Image: ONYANGO OCHIENG