When Omingo Magara was trying to seek re-election after a court annulled his 2007 election to parliament, his sponsoring political party, then ODM, made it clear there would be no automatic nomination for its treasurer.
In the view of many party activists and loudmouths, it would be criminally undemocratic to award Magara direct nomination because that would circumvent the will of the power. This view was shared and repeated by the party’s high command.