The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) secretary-general Edwin Sifuna has hit out at Amani National Congress (ANC) leader Musalia Mudavadi over claims that opposition chief Raila Odinga was blackmailed into the handshake.
In a tweet on Thursday, Mr Sifuna rubbished Mudavadi's contention carried in the Standard newspaper that the handshake was born out of blackmail from the international diplomatic corps.
According to Sifuna, the pressure was only applied to try top dissuade veteran opposition and ODM leader not to swear himself.
He said that that pressure is the reason why Mudavadi, Kalonzo, and Wetangula never showed up for the mock inauguration.
"Mudavadi is lying. The pressure from the diplomatic corps was applied to try and STOP the SWEARING in of the People's President. It is Infact the REASON "internationally renowned" diplomats/former foreign ministers failed to show up at Uhuru park. They bowed to foreign pressure!" Edwin Sifuna's tweet read.
Edwin Sifuna's intervention adds another layer of complexity to the controversy surrounding the swearing-in and the absence of the three NASA principals at the event.
Barack Muluka, who is the secretary-general of the ANC claimed that the reason as to why the NASA principals never showed up is because Raila promised to call them using a Nigerian number but never did.