Ekuru Aukot of Thirdway Alliance disqualified from August 9 presidential race

Thirdway Alliance Party leader Ekuru Aukot during a press conference at the party’s headquarters in Nairobi on February 17, 2020 [David Njaaga, Standard]

Thirdway Alliance presidential aspirant Ekuru Aukot has been disqualified from the August 9 contest.

Aukot failed to provide signatures and copies of national identity cards of 48,000 registered voters who endorsed his presidential bid.

The aspirant, who protested the requirement, said it was impractical of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to demand supporters’ signatures and copies of IDs from the contestants.

Aukot said he ran for presidency in the August 8, 2017 General Election, and that during clearance at the time, he wasn’t asked to produce any signatures or ID cards proving his endorsement by Kenyans.

“No Kenyan is willing to give you his ID card to photocopy, let us be realistic. I’m even wondering where the cleared candidates got the photocopied ID cards of Kenyans from,” he said after IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati asked him to produce his supporters' signatures and copies of ID cards.

“We deliberately decided not to bring the signatures. People want to be bribed so that they can give you their ID cards to photocopy,” Aukot told the electoral commission’s chairperson at the Bomas of Kenya in Nairobi on Saturday, June 5.

Chebukati also said that the copies of Aukot’s degree certificates had not been stamped by the universities that he received them from.

Petition

Dr Aukot said he will move to court to challenge the ID and signatures requirement for presidential aspirants.

He further said that he will challenge the clearance of Raila Odinga by the IEBC.

Aukot said Odinga has been sponsored by the State, hence the use of government resources in financing his bid.

The presidential hopeful further said that Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya Coalition Party “does not have natural members” to endorse Odinga’s bid.

Aukot said he will file his petition at the High Court on Monday, June 6.