National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale and ODM party leader Raila Odinga at a past event. [Photo: The Star]
High Court's decision to include Thirdway Alliance candidate Ekuru Aukot in the fresh presidential poll set for October 26 has dealt Opposition leader Raila Odinga a final blow, Garissa Township MP Aden Duale has said.Duale said Raila, who on Tuesday announced his decision to withdraw from the race, shot himself in the foot and is now in a tight corner. "His decision was not based on any law since he did not fill Form 24A as required for a candidate pulling out of the presidential race," he said.The Majority Leader in the National Assembly said Raila and his running mate Kalonzo Musyoka relied on the 2013 Supreme Court ruling which High Court judge, Justice John Mativo, declared as a mere opinion."He has now thrown himself and his running mate under the bus and all NASA can now do is to re-organise themselves and try their luck in 2022," the MP added.However, Lawyer Nelson Havi said the High Court ruling had no impact on their withdrawal, saying they were party to the case and were aware of the ruling.“Raila’s decision to withdraw from the presidential election legally stands. It cannot be said to have been overtaken by Justice Mativo’s decision. The Supreme Court's decision was legally binding,” Havi told Standard Digital.