- The legislators will meet on December 26 and issue a statement.
- ANC Deputy Party leader Ayub Savula said Oka principals should not be pressured into naming a candidate.
Image: FILE
A section of ANC politicians who threatened to ditch One Kenya Alliance over naming of a flagbearer will announce their next move on Boxing Day.
The legislators said they will make an announcement on the day since it is becoming clear that the alliance will not have named the presidential candidate before their Christmas deadline.
“We are still waiting but we will be meeting on December 26 and then issue a statement,” Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala told the Star.
On November 13, Malala, Tindi Mwale (Butere) and Titus Khamala (Lurambi) while addressing a rally in Matunda area in Kakamega threatened to ditch the coalition for another outfit if their demands are not met.
“We are telling our colleagues at OKA that we want to know the presidential candidate of the coalition by December 25.
"If we won’t have known the presidential candidate who we know is Musalia Mudavadi, then we, as ANC, will decide to leave and form another alliance to deliver the presidency for Mudavadi in 2022,” Mwale said.
Malala said the process should be expedited to give the coalition sufficient time to prepare for the August 9, 2022 General Election.
Oka comprises of four principals including Mudavadi, Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), Moses Wetangula (Ford Kenya) and Kanu’s Gideon Moi.
All four leaders are eyeing the coalition ticket for the presidency.
On Thursday, ANC deputy party leader Ayub Savula said Oka principals should not be pressured into naming a candidate.
The Lugari MP maintained that the four principals will use consensus to pick the flagbearer.
“There is no need for putting conditions. We want the four to sit down and see who has the best chances of leading this country.
“As legislators allied to the alliance, we are below the principals and we should therefore give them time to decide,” Savula said.
The MP said ANC will hold its National Delegates Congress in mid January after which a candidate will be named.
“After that NDC, everything will flow. The alliance will name its candidate and we will all hit the ground to campaign,” he added.
Ford Kenya, Kanu and Wiper have already held their NDCs and their respective leaders were given the nod to contest for the top seat.
On September 30, Kanu delegates endorsed Moi to be the party's presidential candidate in 2022 election in a meeting convened at the Bomas of Kenya.
On November 25, Wiper nominated its leader for the presidency at a meeting that took place at the Kasarani Gymnasium.
Wetang'ula also received blessings of his Ford Kenya party to vie for the presidency on November 4 at the Bomas of Kenya.
Kalonzo and Mudavadi will be both taking a second stab at the presidency with the Wiper leader having tried in 2007 and his ANC counterpart in 2013.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)