•ODM chairman John Mbadi on Friday dismissed as propaganda claims that a decision had been made in regards to nomination in the Constituency.
•ODM had indicated that the primaries would be conducted on April 13.
ODM has not issued a direct ticket to any aspirant in Alego-Usonga constituency.
ODM chairman John Mbadi on Friday dismissed as propaganda claims that a decision had been made in regards to nomination in the constituency.
ODM had indicated that the primaries would be conducted on April 13.
On Thursday, Alego-Usonga MP Samuel Atandi, in a post shared on WhatsApp group claimed that there will be no nomination as had been indicated earlier.
"Team, 'onge'(there is no) nominations in Alego Usonga on 13th. The party will make a decision on who the ODM candidate will be based on the poll results which were shared,"the post read.
"I and my colleague aspirants agreed with the polls."
But speaking to the Star on Friday, Mbadi said no aspirant, regardless of his or her position has the mandate to make such declaration.
"Any communication that which is not issued by the election board is fake. No aspirant has the mandate to make any announcements, " he said.
The party chairman was categorical that no decision had been made by the central committee on the matter.
" What I know is that on April 13, nomination for the MCAs will be held in Alego-Usonga,"Mbadi said.
However,he said, in regards to the MP position, no decision has been arrived at.
The Suba South MP said the central committee of ODM is still meeting to discuss the issue.
"As we speak, the party is yet to decide whether anyone will be handed a direct ticket. If there's any decision taken by the party, it will come from National Elections Board," Mbadi said.
"Anything else should be treated as a rumour and propaganda." Mbadi said.
The Star has reliably established that all aspirants eyeing the MP position from Siaya county met with ODM NEB officials in Nairobi on Thursday.
A source privy to the happenings said that aspirants were informed in the Thursday meeting that those who had a small margin in the party opinion polls a month ago, will have to go for nominations.
" In areas where there was clear winner, with a huge gap, giving accurate picture of what is likely to happen in the main elections are likely to get direct tickets," the source said.
The party's contest in the primaries is stiff in Alego-Usonga, Gem, Bondo, and Ugenya.
In Alego-Usonga, Atandi is defending the seat against a stiff opposition from former University of Nairobi lecturer Nicholas Kut Ochogo.
Kut has got the support of the party's branch officials led by Orwenjo Umidha who has endorsed him.
Siaya Governor Cornel Rasanga who also comes from Alego-Usonga constituency is amongst the leaders from the area who have thrown their weight behind Kut.
He also enjoys the support of former Siaya Mayor and Siaya county council chairman Agrey Onyango and former Alego-Usonga MPs Sammy Weya and Peter Oloo Aringo.
Immediate former area MP Omondi Muluan is also seeking the ODM party ticket against Atandi and Kut.
Various social media platforms are awash with unverified lists that indicate that ODM party has issued direct tickets in Rarieda, Gem , Bondo and Ugunja constituencies to incumbents.
But the party chairman dismissed the lists ask fake.
In Siaya it is only Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi who has been given direct ticket.
The MP told the Star that he was given the ticket on Tuesday last week.
Wandayi was given the ticket since he didn't have any opponents to face him in the primaries.
He is as good as elected since ODM is the dominant party in the constituency.
In the neighbouring Ugenya constituency, the party is likely to carry out nominations after attempts to agree on the ODM candidate through consensus hit a snag.
Those in ODM who are seeking to unseat David Ochieng of Movement for Democracy and Growth include, immediate former MP Chris Karan, Rodgers Oyundo, C.M Omolo, Stephen Okelo, Daniel Odhiambo, Fred Ogola among others.
(Edited by Francis Wadegu)