Shinyalu MP Justus Kizito has criticised zoning in Azimio in Western saying ODM leaders were using the method to settle scores.
Kizito warned the discontent being created will affect coalition’s presidential candidate Raila Odinga's chances of victory besides killing smaller parties supporting Azimio.
The MP who defected from ODM to the Democratic Action Party of Kenya in March said there is no law to support the zoning, adding that the constitution supersedes any other arrangements and should be respected.
He said the decision to push some of the DAP-K aspirants out of the race in the region was a violation of their constitutional rights.
“ODM bungled their nominations and now want to create confusion in other parties after realising they dished out direct tickets to weak candidates. They should own up to their mistakes and carry their own cross,” he said.
Lugari MP Ayub Savula was reportedly pressured to drop from the Kakamega gubernatorial race on Wednesday to deputise ODM’s Fernandez Barasa.
Savula is the DAP-K deputy leader.
Earlier, ODM deputy party leader Wycliffe Oparanya said DAP-K was created to check the influence of Ford Kenya in Bungoma and Trans Nzoia counties.
Oparanya said DAP-K should field candidates in the two counties and elsewhere and not Kakamega, Vihiga and Busia counties.
While campaigning in Central Kenya, Raila said Azimio leadership had agreed to allow all aspirants for affiliate parties campaign for one month then they will identify most popular ones and ask others to support them.
Kizito said every Kenyan has a constitutional right to join political parties of their choice and zoning was a violation of the same law.
Kizito said ODM was trying to antagonise candidates with Azimio One Kenya coalition presidential aspirant Raila Odinga.
Panic has gripped other aspirants on DAP-K who now fear their tickets could be recalled to create room for ODM rivals.
“If they can force the deputy party leader to step down from the race, what will stop them from pushing all of us out of the race?” asked an aspirant who declined to be named.
Smaller parties in Azimio have protested that zoning will kill them and hurt chances of Raila’s victory.
