Obado's shadow looms large in nomination of successor

Despite being locked out of ODM, Migori Governor Okoth Obado's shadow still looms large over picking his successor in the forthcoming primaries.

Obado left the party which sponsored him for his second term and went back to People’s Democratic Party. He has vowed to make sure his political nemesis, Senator Ochillo Ayacko, does not succeed him.

Ayacko plans to be the next governor in a crowded field that has also attracted Woman Representative Pamela Odhiambo, former Migori MP John Pesa, former Rongo MP Dalmas Otieno, businessmen Robert Okong’o, Philip Mwabe among others.

“Our first plan will be to support Pesa on an ODM ticket, I have friends there. If they will give him a hard tackle in the nominations and he won’t finish the race, I will unleash Dalmas in the PDP ticket to reach the finals,” Obado said.

He spoke at a funeral in Nyatike in an undated video which was leaked online.

In the video, Obado revealed that Okong’o, who hails from Awendo constituency together with Ayacko, is a member of PDP and he will revert to the local Awendo MP race.

“We have many PDP members here, even in Awendo we have Robert Okong’o who is our member. We can’t say that here we are all ODM members, we have PDP members too.” he said.

The video has elicited sharp reactions as the ODM party has already started receiving applications from aspirants seeking to participate in party nominations and vie on the party’s ticket during the August 9 election.

ODM National Elections Board chairperson Catherine Muyeka said in a press statement that applications were opened on Tuesday, March 1, and will run until March 13 after which “the NEB shall issue a further notice indicating the time schedule for the party elections by registered members in the different counties”.

But in separate interviews, Pesa and Okong’o denied the remarks by Obado and distanced themselves from PDP.

“Our leader Raila Odinga will be the president under ODM and I will take up the governor's seat in Migori since my development record as a leader is unmatched,” Pesa said.

Okong’o said he was not “a small girl who will have to be spoken for.I am in for governor race and I will pick my party under the Azimio la Umoja wing in the nominations which should be free and fair”.

Dalmas could not be reached for  comment.

Ayacko is perceived to be the front runner and  there are fears that the Raila led party may issue the ticket in favor of the senator who had in the past claimed that it was his preserve, sending jitters among other aspirants.

This fear,earlier saw six other aspirants meet in Nairobi for a consultative meeting last month, where they resolved to back a single candidate after the  nominations.

But former Migori MP Owino Likowa and county ODM chairperson Philip Makabong’o said Obado’s leaked video had shed light over moles in the party and that they will ensure the same is passed on in the party primaries and the forthcoming polls.

“We need party loyalists and we will never again have candidates who after getting the ODM certificate and get elected start undermining the party from within,” Makabong’o said.

(Edited by Francis Wadegu)