- The ODM National Elections Board has defended the use of opinion polls to award direct tickets to aspirants to fly the party flag in the upcoming polls.
- NEB chairperson Catherine Mumma said the scientific polls are among the methods the party is deploying to avoid protracted primaries in some regions.
The ODM National Elections Board has defended the use of opinion polls to award direct tickets to aspirants in the upcoming polls.
NEB chairperson Catherine Mumma said the scientific polls are among the methods the party is deploying to avoid protracted primaries in some regions.
The board is also using consensus building in areas where aspirants seeking the same seat agree to negotiate among themselves or mediated by a third party.
“We use opinion polls because they are scientific and they tell us what is happening on the ground,” Mumma said.
She said the formula, which has triggered disquiet among aspirants, not only show the strength of ODM aspirants but those from other parties or independents eyeing the seat.
“We are not going to use an opinion poll to give a ticket to somebody who you know is going to lose,” she said.
“In some instances, we have managed to persuade those who are not rated very highly to step down for those who are doing well in order for us to move as a united front.”
Mumma spoke in the wake of outrage by some party aspirants.
They were angered by the nomination method,which they claim, denies them opportunity to participate in free and fair nominations.
In Mombasa, governor aspirant Suleiman Shahbal has rejected an alleged plan by the party to issue a direct ticket based on opinion poll results.
“We are not going to allow decisions to pick ODM candidates through opinion polls, let the people decide,” Shahbal said.
“We reject any boardroom negotiations that prefer my opponent. We will not accept hand-picking of leaders for the people of Mombasa.”
Opinion polls that the party had sanctioned at different times in Mombasa have put Shahbal’s arch-rival, Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir ahead.
Shahbal's camp are reading malice with ODM’s cancellation of the region primaries.
Last Friday, the Orange party postponed primaries scheduled in Nakuru and those for Mombasa and Kilifi this week.
The case is the same in Kisii where Woman Representative aspirants have rejected a plan to hand a ticket to incumbent Janet Ongera.
Last week, former Nairobi governor Evans Kidero dismissed the issuance of a direct ticket to Homa Bay Woman Representative Gladys Wanga to run for governor seat.
Kidero has since declared that he will run for the seat as an independent candidate.
But Mummo maintained that the party will only resort to primaries in the few instances where they are not able to achieve consensus or where aspirants are so close to each other in terms of popularity.
This, she said, is to avoid adversarial fallout because as “a party we want to move as a united front”.
Mumma reiterated that the boards considers several factors before dishing out direct tickets.
They include instances where the party has a sole aspirant for a seat. Where the seat has attracted other aspirants, the party will look at the opinion polls.
Only a clear front runner will be considered for a possible direct ticket.
“We will not necessarily give a person a direct ticket in some of the strongholds. It may be better to actually let the competitors run at the party primaries,” she said.