ANC threatens to pull out of NASA if Musalia Mudavadi is not picked flag-bearer

ANC leaders and supporters march in Kakamega town to drum up support for party leader Musalia Mudavadi. [Chrispen Sechere, Standard]

KAKAMEGA: Members of Amani National Congress (ANC) have said the party will go it alone if Musalia Mudavadi is not picked as the NASA flag-bearer.

Delegates and aspirants from Kakamega, Bungoma, Busia, Vihiga, and Trans Nzoia counties said Mudavadi must be on the ballot as a presidential candidate.

"We are tired of supporting other people and communities. It is our time to contest for the top seat," said Martin Waliaula, the ANC branch secretary for Bungoma County.

He argued that NASA is made up of two major affliates – ANC and CORD – and that each side should produce either the president or the deputy.

He said Mudavadi is the founder of NASA and should not accept a chief minister's slot.

"We do not want anything except the presidency. CORD should produce one person to be either president or deputy but not to claim all the top seats," he said.

Adrian Meja, an ANC parliamentary aspirant in Shinyalu, dismissed a Raila-Kalonzo ticket, saying it will guarantee President Uhuru Kenyatta and Jubilee an early victory.

"ODM and other parties in NASA are wasting time arguing that a Raila-Kalonzo ticket will win the election. If Mudavadi will not be picked, then it means we have to forget the presidency because President Uhuru will win," said Meja.

He said the Opposition should change its line-up if it wants to beat the incumbent.

“Raila-Kalonzo contested against President Uhuru Kenyatta and he defeated them. We cannot present the same pair against him (Uhuru) because he will defeat them again. Mudavadi will make a change for the Opposition to win,” he said.

Cleophas Malala of Kakamega argued that the chief minister position is unconstitutional.

“Mudavadi is the preferred candidate. He is the symbol of unity and we will not accept anything less than Mudavadi being the NASA flag-bearer,” said Malala.

But ANC Secretary-General Godfrey Osotsi dismissed the aspirants, saying the  decision for ANC to go it alone lies with the National Executive Council, the National Governing Council, and the National Delegates Convention.

“ANC members should be calm and wait for the discussions to be concluded. It is wrong to respond to media reports yet the principals have not made any conclusion,” Osotsi told The Standard on the phone.

He said ANC is the founder of NASA and therefore cannot rock the alliance from within.