In a show of unity, all nine aspirants who lost in Kibra ODM nominations on Tuesday attended the party's leaders meeting amid claims of rigging.
The nine candidates, who received a total of Sh2.25 million which they had paid for nominations, declared their support for Imran Okoth, the brother to former MP Ken Okoth.
MPs Junet Mohamed (Suna), Babu Owino (Embakasi East), George Aladwa (Makadara) and Tim Wanyonyi of Westlands witnessed the reunion.
This comes amid claims that Mr Odinga was agitated by the manner in which the primaries were conducted, forcing him to refund the participants.
On Monday, Raila, through spokesman Dennis Onyango, disputed claims by a local publication that he scolded party officials for bungling nominations.
“Mr Odinga acknowledges that there were challenges in the nominations, with names missing from the voter register but those were not tailored or deliberately introduced to favour or disenfranchise any aspirant,” reads the statement.
And on Tuesday, the publication claimed that Mr Odinga had ordered refund to those who participated in nominations but were 'rigged' by party insiders.
In another statement on Tuesday, Mr Odinga through Onyango, said that the idea of refunding the money to all aspirants who failed to succeed was mooted at a meeting in Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Center.
Odinga agreed to refund the money should the participants pick one of them through consensus, and, or should losers back the winning candidate after nominations.
"The aspirants wanted to agree on one of them to be handed the Party’s ticket. In the event they failed to agree, they wanted a formula to ensure all aspirants back the eventual winner of the nomination contest. The meeting took place at the request of the aspirants.
"It was at this meeting that Hon. Raila Odinga, at the request of the aspirants, committed to have the party refund nomination fees that had been paid by those who would pull out of the race or who lost at the nomination. In return, the losers and those pulling out were to rally behind the winner. The Party Leader preferred that aspirants go all the way to the ballot," read the statement.
ODM picked Imran Okoth, brother to the late Ken Okoth as candidate. He will battle with six others on November 7th as the party seeks to retain the seat.