An MCA aspirant in Garissa on Thursday won a tight court battle to secure an ODM certificate paving way for him to vie for the Galbeth Ward seat.
Abdirizak Ismail won the case to get the certificate after a Nairobi court ruled that he deserved to be issued with the document.
Ismail and incumbent Ibrahim Ali, who is the Garissa County Assembly Majority Leader, have fought for the certificate for the last four weeks.
Ismail unsuccessfully presented his papers to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
At the time of presentation of his papers IN Garissa town, returning officer Dulacha Boru told him that ODM had two candidates in Galbeth Ward and the party therefore had to nominate one person to get clearance from the electoral body.
The two contenders forwarded the case to the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal and the IEBC Disputes Resolution Tribunal, which referred the disagreement to ODM for fresh nominations.
After being issued with the IEBC certificate, Ismail addressed the press apologizing to Galbeth voters for being subjected to a lot of anxiety according to the Star.
He urged aspirants to conduct peaceful campaigns.
Garissa residents, he said, should not allow politicians to divide them along clan and religious lines