Everyone has a right to vie for the presidency, ODM party leader Raila Odinga has said.
Speaking in Mombasa on Wednesday, Raila said that he supports everyone within the party who wants to run for the presidency in 2022.
"After every year we have elections and the seats remain vacant. ODM is a national party and people have the liberty to vie for positions," he said.
"Joho is the deputy party leader, they have the right to vie for any seat and every Kenyan has the same right. It is the ODM party who will decide who will fly the flag. I support Joho's quest for the presidency."
Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho said he will be running for president in 2022 and that his march is unstoppable.
Joho said he has already delivered his nomination papers to the ODM party and expects full support from luminaries including leader Raila Odinga if he wins the primaries.
“I have heard of people questioning my capabilities. If they cannot win the top seat, then that is their problem. As for me, I will not stop at anything else apart from the presidency,” Joho said.
During his tour of the Coast, Raila said told off a section of coastal leaders agitating for the region to chart its own path with a regional party terming it a threat to national unity.
He said the leaders should only concentrate on revamping the regional economic bloc that will benefit all residents and not a regional pact.
A section of ODM allied lawmakers and governors are pushing for the formation of a regional political party.
The leaders, led by Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi and an ODM stalwart, said that that time was ripe for the region to drift from the orange party and take part in national politics.
Raila further cautioned leaders against misusing the country’s multi-party democracy to create ethnic political parties.
