Governor hopefuls protest IEBC’s decision to postpone election

Mombasa county gubernatorial candidates on Thursday protested against the IEBC decision to postpone the governor election.

On Wednesday evening, IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati postponed the elections for Mombasa and Kakamega indefinitely citing frustrations and intimidations of his officials.

However, Abdulswamad Nassir of ODM said they were reading malice in Chebukati’s moves. 

Nassir led the ODM team to file a case at the High Court in Mombasa to compel the electoral agency to conduct the election in Mombasa on August 23 as planned.

He said they were awaiting court orders to serve IEBC.

The case was filed by three Mombasa residents on behalf of the ODM team.

The three include Thani Mohammed Mwamlavya, Moses Aran Oindo, and Kelvin Nzuki Muthini.

They have listed IEBC, Wafula Chebukati, the Ministry of Interior, and the Attorney General as first, second, third, and fourth respondents respectively.

After the court process, Nassir led thousands of his supporters to demonstrate to the IEBC offices in Mombasa.

At the gate of the Mombasa IEBC office, the ODM brigade accused the UDA team of colluding with the electoral agency to postpone the election.

Nassir said that there was no reason to postpone the polls.

"We demand the election be conducted on Tuesday as planned. We are also demanding answers as to why they were postponed," Nassir said.

The visibly angry Nassir said the laws are clear on the reason why an election would be postponed.

He cited the security threats, natural calamity, and breach of election laws.

"The initial postponement was purposely orchestrated to have low voter turnout in our Azimio strongholds," Nassir said.

"It was done barely 24 hours before the August 9 general election without our involvement as stakeholders."

Nassir said they chose to be peaceful, but this time round they will not be cowed.

He alleged that there is a sinister move by IEBC and UDA to ensure that Mombasa gubernatorial election outcome goes in a certain direction.

“We know your plans, we know what you are after, but never again, will we ever be intimidated. The election must and will be held next Tuesday,” Nassir said.

He was accompanied by his running mate Francis Thoya and MPs Mishi Mboko (Likoni) Badi Twalib (Jomvu) and Mombasa Woman Representative-elect Zamzam Mohammed.

Thoya accused the UDA fraternity of colluding with the IEBC to postpone the Mombasa gubernatorial elections.

“We are aware that UDA has written a letter to IEBC to postpone the Mombasa’s elections. We are telling them that will not happen,” he said.

"We are aware our opponents have sensed defeat and in cohort with IEBC, have now conspired to indefinitely stop Mombasa residents from participating in the elections that were slated for August 23,”

However, the Kenya Kwanza Alliance counterparts, led by UDA Mombasa governor candidate Hassan Omar, asked the IEBC chair Chebukati to be bold and announce the next date.

"It is becoming a little too draining, the anxiety is too much as IEBC continues procrastinating," Omar said in a press conference in Nyali’s Hustler Centre.

Omar said that as much as they (candidates) appreciate the pressure IEBC has, they also need to consider them.

"You cannot postpone the election until further notice, you need to give us a date. You must treat us with a bit of decency," Omar said.

"These elections must move on, you cannot continue doing this to the Mombasa people. The country needs to move on."

Omar also asked IEBC to deploy its permanent staff to oversee the next election in Mombasa.

Earlier, he had called for the removal of poll officials, who conducted last Tuesday’s election, alleging that they were compromised by their opponents.

Omar also assured security officials and public administrators who engaged in politics that the William Ruto-led administration will not target them.

"I spoke to the President-elect and he told me to assure you that he is not going to seek revenge against anybody," he said.

He also said Azimio leader Raila Odinga’s move to head to court, is an exercise in futility since no court would nullify a credible process.

Omar was flanked by his running mate Selina Maitha, who beseeched IEBC to conduct the remaining elections as soon as possible.

Selina alleged that their opponents were busy recruiting goons to disrupt and manipulate the election.

"I beseech the youth to avoid being recruited to disrupt the election. We want a peaceful election. We are not going to war," she said.

(Edited by Tabnacha O)