Frustrations in ODM as nomination exercise in Busia is marked with mischief

Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong has expressed frustration in the Orange Democratic Movement ( ODM ) party nominations saying it is a mockery of democracy and has demanded an explanation from the party organs following a delay in distribution of polling materials at polling stations. 

Ojaamong who addressed the media and voters who had turned up to cast their votes to their preferred candidate for the ODM party said a day earlier vehicles had been availed to facilitate transportation of personnel and materials. 

"I have information that papers have been mixed up and I do not understand how this happened, " he said.

He said members of the party had been frustrated as even as the nearest polling station to the main nominations materials distribution point had no personal or election materials. 

"This is a mockery of democracy and we should be given an explanation on what is happening because we had prepared adequately for the exercise, " he said.

Ojaamong has however accused his competitor Paul Otuoma of being a Jubilee candidate seeking to unseat him, but was hiding in ODM, pointing out that the party's top leadership was aware that Mr Otuoma was a Jubilee candidate. 

He said Mr Otuoma had been seen campaigning using Jubilee resources late into the night and has support from Jubilee officials in his bid.

Otuoma earlier in the day had recorded a statement with the police in the county over what he termed as malicious move to label him a Jubilee candidate ahead of the primaries that were set for today, April 13,2017. 

Otuoma reported that there were notices in circulation across the county misleading the public that he had defected to Jubilee party, a claim he has since declined. 

It has remained unclear as to whether the party will continue with the process that had delayed for several hours appearing to have disenfranchised voters who turned up as early as 6 AM for the exercise. 

Governor Ojaamong has distanced accusations of his camp being behind the papers circulating in the county but insisted that Mr Otuoma is not in ODM and said he would not accept working with him after the exercise alluding to exploring other unidentified options for the August poll. 

There had been claims of unknown people having secretly obtained ballot papers and we're engineering the outcome of the nominations marking ballot papers overnight but remains unconfirmed by the party.