ODM shocker for aspirants as it gives direct tickets to chosen few

Homabay gubanatorial aspirant Oyugi Magwanga's supporters demonstrate outside Homabay High School tallying centre during ODM nominations in Homabay in 2017. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

Several aspirants who paid millions of shillings for ODM nominations could be locked out of the exercise as the Raila Odinga-led outfit begins to issue direct tickets to popular candidates.

The party has concluded conducting opinion polls to determine popularity of those seeking its ticket and will use the outcome to issue direct tickets in certain elective seats. It has further emerged that the party is scouting for popular candidates from other political parties to hand direct ticket in its wider scheme to get more seats in the August 9 General Election.

The party will also issue direct tickets in areas with sole applicants. It is only in areas where competition is stiff and aspirants have failed to reach consensus that the party plans to conduct nominations through universal suffrage. ODM plans to stagger its primaries beginning next week Monday until April 21 and has since requested Inspector General of Police Hilary Mutyambai to provide security.

Yesterday, ODM National Elections Board (NEB) Chairperson Catherine Mumma told The Standard that issuance of direct ticket is allowed by the party constitution. Mumma said it would be a waste of aspirants’ and party’s resources to conduct primaries when it is clear one aspirant is way more popular than the rest.

She listed consensus, direct ticket, use of delegates – which was used to pick Raila as the presidential candidate – and the universal suffrage as methods for party nominations. The party yesterday concluded receiving nomination applications before the board begins to go through them and determining areas to issue direct ticket and where to conduct nominations through the ballot.

Opinion polls done

“We are sifting through those applications; once through, we will move to the next stage to determine who we are giving direct ticket,” said Ms Mumma.

“We will issue direct ticket in areas with only one aspirant or where the applicants agree for consensus. Or in cases where opinion polls – that we are about to open – shows one is way ahead of the rest. In this case it will be a waste of time and resources to subject them to primaries,” explained Mumma.

She said the board was yet to determine percentage margin in the opinion polls that will guarantee a direct ticket. But sources told The Standard that the party was considering about 10 per cent and above. She confirmed that the outfit had deployed a combination of methods in its bid to win more elective seats, including poaching popular candidates from other parties.

Mumma said the party’s opinion polls have captured popularity ratings of aspirants from other parties and they were considering approaching them with offer of a direct ticket.

“We are also fishing for good candidates, just like other parties. Where we can see our polls are showing a member of another party is way ahead, we go bring them on board without subjecting them to nominations,” she revealed.

According to sources within the Orange Party, some aspirants likely to get direct ticket include Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o, Kisii governor aspirant Simba Arati (currently Dagoretti North MP) and ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, who is seeking Nairobi Senate seat. Polls by the outfit shows they are leading against their opponents in the battle for the ticket.

In a letter dated March 14, the party wrote to Mutyambai seeking security during the month-long exercise.

“The ODM National Elections Board intends to conduct party primaries as between March 21 and April 21. The primaries will be staggered with the exercise taking place in one or 2 counties at a time,” states the letter by Mumma.

The board said that they are in the process of developing schedule for the exercise following the receipt of the applications from the aspirants in the various electoral areas.

The schedule will indicate the dates when the primaries will take place in the different counties and the polling and Tally centres which the party has designated for polling.

“This is to request that you provide the party with the necessary security to enable the primaries to be conducted in a peaceful atmosphere. We will be happy to discuss with your regional and or county commanders on the detail relating to the numbers of officers we will require per county,” states the letter.

The board has further written to Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha seeking to use schools as polling centres. Primary school children are currently on holiday while secondary schools are currently being used as exam centres for KCSE.

“This is to request your office to authorise schools to permit the National Elections Board officials and ODM members to access the schools for the purpose of conducting and participating in the party primaries,” states the letter to Magoha.

A cut-throat political race is expected in Raila’s stronghold of Nyanza, Coast and Western in what promises to be a make-or-break exercise since it has potential of triggering a political fallout within the party. Several political heavyweights perceived to be close to Raila are expected to square it out for the tickets.

Party primaries have previously turned into a nightmare for party leaders over rigging claims. In some instances, the nominations have been violent, with the aggrieved jumping ship to contest as independent candidates.