Kisumu Town East MP, Shakeel Shabbir has sought the help of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) secretariat to resolve a leadership row in the party sub-branch.
Shabbir claims two factions are fighting over the control of the party office, a situation he said could jeopardize the party's preparation for the election campaigns.
On one hand is Osumba Olum who is also the Member of County Assembly (MCA) representing Kolwa East Ward, while on the other side is Robert Otuge led faction also claiming to be the right group to steer party affairs in Kisumu East.
In a letter written to Oduor Ongwen, the party chief executive officer at Orange House, Nairobi, Shabbir wants the party's National Executive Committee (NEC) to resolve the confusion as to which team is legitimately in office.
Trouble started when party elections for the constituency were held and two factions claimed victory leading to a dispute. Two appeals were filled by John Anditi and Shakeel Shabbir and later heard by the ODM Elections Appeal Board early this year which was chaired by Edwin Sifuna.
However, despite the tribunal ruling in favor of the appellants, the two factions were informed that the discussions of the tribunal would be endorsed by the NEC.
At the center of the matter is Prof Ayiecho Olweny, the ODM chairman for Kisumu County who allegedly handed over the party certificate to one of the factions.
Shabbir has declined to comment on the matter saying that ODM had structures of resolving such crises.
"I would prefer not to comment on the matter as ODM party is already deliberating on the same and I am confident that the matter will be resolved amicably," said Shabbir when this writer reach out for a comment.
In the letter to the ODM chief executive officer, and which has been copied to John Mbadi the ODM Chairman and Agnes Zani the acting Secretary General, Shabbir requests that the matter be looked into 'urgently to avoid the antagonism and any resulting disagreement between the two parties which will hurt the image of ODM'.
He has urged the ODM National Office to urgently formalize the recommendations of the Appeal Tribunal to bring the two disputing teams together harmoniously to promote the interests of ODM party.