Nyali MP Hezron Awiti. Photo: softkenya.com
The contest between Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar and Nyali MP Hezron Awiti for county governor Wiper ticket is now threatening to spiral out of control and dim the party's chance to clinch the coveted seat.
Keen to prevent any fallout, the Party was to hold nominations for Mombasa Governor aspirants on Saturday, with 600 delegates invited to attend the function.
However, the exercise did not take place even as the rifts within the party continue to widen.
Reports indicate that Senator Omar had withdrawn from the race only to change his mind a few hours later. And that by the time he made the u-turn, the delegates had already been told not to attend the nomination drive.
Awiti has always insisted that he is ready for nominations and pledged to support his rival if he is trounced in the party primaries.
However, the lawmaker seems to be running out of patience with the pace at which the party is trying to unlock the deadlock and has now threatened to 'make a major announcement soon'.
With ODM's Joho keenly waiting for his opponent, the Wiper camp will have to address the bruising internal rivalry first before even dreaming of unseating the incumbent.