Don't intimidate my supporters, Obado tells critics in Nyanza

Migori County Governor Okoth Obado.[Caleb Kingwara, Standard]

Migori Governor Okoth Obado has begun popularising his People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Nyanza region, saying his supporters should not be intimidated.

For more than a decade, the region, which comprises Migori, Homa Bay, Kisumu and Siaya counties, have been dominated by the Orange Democratic (ODM) party led by Raila Odinga.

Obado has now begun an initiative of going beyond his Migori County in popularising PDP. The efforts include having his pointmen and die-hard supporters in each of the counties.

The foot soldiers who include former Kibiri MCA in Homa Bay County Kennedy Ondiek, said they will be selling the PDP agenda in various electoral areas in the region 

Obado met residents of Homa Bay in Ndhiwa Constituency and sold the agenda of his new political outfit on Friday.

Speaking during the burial of Turfosa Orero, mother of Homa Bay County Covid-19 Emergency Fund Committee vice-chairman Joshua Orero in North Kabuoch ward, Obado said his supporters should not be threatened for supporting PDP.

“The Constitution accords every Kenyan opportunity to be affiliated to any political party of their choice. Nobody should be victimised or intimidated because they are supporting PDP,” Obado said.

He told area residents to shun a mentality that his motive is to fight Raila’s ODM party.

“This message is very clear that the PDP is charting its own path in political contests. We are not fighting any political party in this region,” Obado added.

Obado who is currently serving as a governor on ODM ticket, said he has decided to popularise PDP as a way of according Nyanza residents an alternative political voice.

The Governor said his main objective is to ensure political leaders in Nyanza region have various choices of political parties which they can join during electioneering periods.

“Our situation here is like a market in which buyers feel relieved if there are many sellers of a given product. I am giving an alternative through the PDP to create more political opportunities in this region,” Obado said.

Ondiek argued that time had come for Nyanza residents to embrace paradigm political shift by allowing other political parties in the region.

The former MCA argued that allowing other political parties will mark the beginning of change in the implementation of development projects which result from political influence in the region.

“We cannot do the same thing with the same formula and get different results. It is only changing in our political direction that can give the desired results in our quest to acquire the desired development in Nyanza region,” Ondiek said.

Nyanza region is currently dominated by ODM in which serving governors of all the six counties in the region namely Siaya, Kisumu, Homa Bay, Migori, Kisii and Nyamira were elected on ODM ticket.