- The IEBC and the candidates have reached a consensus that the elections will be held on Monday, August 29.
- Nassir said they (IEBC and their opponents) wanted to sway the election to take a certain direction.
Image: LABAN WALLOGA
ODM supporters in Mombasa have remained upbeat that Abdulswamad Nassir will beat the six other competitors despite the governor’s elections being postponed twice.
Last week Wednesday, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission chairman Wafula Chebukati postponed the Mombasa and Kakamega elections indefinitely citing harassment and intimidation of his staff.
A day later, three Mombasa residents Thani Mohammed Mwamlavya, Moses Aran Oindo and Kelvin Nzuki Muthini sued IEBC on behalf of ODM and Nassir.
The matter was scheduled for hearing on Monday before the High Court Malindi under judge Stephen Githinji.
However, during the hearing, it was pushed to Wednesday, August 24, after it became apparent that the IEBC and the candidates had reached a consensus that the elections will be held on Monday, August 29.
The ODM team, led by Nassir, converged outside the Mombasa law court building and told their UDA counterparts that the county will remain an ODM zone.
In the August 9 general election, the ODM won 26 MCA seats at the county assembly.
The party also won five MP seats; Masoud Machele (Mvita), Mishi Mboko (Likoni), Badi Twalib (Jomvu), Rashid Bedzimba (Kisauni) and Omar Mwinyi in Changamwe.
It also won the woman representative seat by Zamzam Mohammed and the Senate seat by Mohammed Faki.
Speaking to the hundreds of ODM supporters outside the courts, Nassir said they (IEBC and their opponents) wanted to sway the election to take a certain direction.
“They postponed the elections twice, to try and make us be in opposition. That will never happen. Right now, ODM has 26 out of 30 MCA and five out of six MP seats in Mombasa,” Nassir said.
He said the Mombasa county government will be under ODM leadership after the next week’s election.
“I want to urge the people of Mombasa to come out and vote in large numbers next week,” he said.
Zamzam said they will ensure they double the voter turnout for Mombasa next week.
“The opponents have failed to go to the grassroots, they have called for reinforcement from Nairobi, but they should know that we are fully behind Nassir,” she said.
Likoni MP Mboko said they will mobilise their supporters to move door to door and ensure that they come out and vote in large numbers next Monday.
“We know our opponents will come with money, take the money but vote for ODM. Nassir has plans for Mombasa, and he is focused," he said.
"Our opponents have no interest of the people of Mombasa at heart, they are obsessed with power."
(Edited by Tabnacha O)