They say once beaten, twice shy. That is the case for Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party which is nursing wounds after a humiliating defeat in Ugenya and Embakasi by-elections.
On Tuesday, ODM supporters were shocked after news that the party had withdrawn from the Wajir West by-elections set for April 25.
The by-election emanated from the Supreme Court’s decision to turn 2017’s victory of Mohammed Kolosh of ODM.
The petition had been filed by Abdirahman Mohamed of Kanu.ODM made a big blunder to deny Kolosh its certificate and instead chose university scholar Professor Yusuf Elmi.
The party had hoped to use Ugenya and Embakasi as curtain raisers for a do-or-die due with Jubilee in Wajir West.
Having been injured in the two by-elections, ODM could not match Jubilee hence a decision to withdraw from the race.
Another reason is that Kolosh is a popular figure on the ground bearing in mind that he won with an ODM flag in 2017, and now with the government machinery defeating him will be like trying to cut a Mugumo tree with a razor.
It would also have been more embarrassing for ODM to participate in the by-election and lose.
The party applied the 22nd law in the classic 48 Laws of Power, the surrender tactic; there is honour in surrendering that joining the battle only to be humiliated.
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