Alliance for Real Change party leader Abduba Dida. [Photo/ The Star]
Presidential candidate Abduba Dida has dismissed Raila Odinga’s allegations that the IEBC ballot printing tender awarded to Al Ghurair Printing & Publishing Company was flawed. The Alliance for Real Change party leader, who beat seasoned politicians in the 2013 presidential contest, said Raila just loves to fight the government even without good reasons. “I know Raila loves teargas and he can’t go three months without it. If he tries, he will be sick,” Dida said, as quoted the Star.As a presidential candidate in the August 8 general election, Dida says everything was done right in the awarding of the tender. All aspirants were invited by IEBC to witness the process and ensure all was fine. Mr Dida, who warmed the hearts of Kenyans with his humour in the 2013 presidential debates, said the Al Ghurair officials had a right to be hosted by the leader of the country when they visited, dismissing claims that the alleged meeting had an influence in the company getting the tender. “When you visit a home [Kenya] you have a right as a visitor to see the father [Uhuru], so that you also feel at home in the new place. It’s common knowledge,” Dida told the Star. “It’s not bad for Uhuru to meet investors, since they were coming to his country.”The former teacher said IEBC demonstrated to all presidential candidates the measures taken by the electoral body to ensure the process was not compromised in favor of Jubilee. Raila, the NASA presidential candidate, has also been accused of potentially benefiting from the current leadership of IEBC, since its chairman, Wafula Chebukati, was a former ODM member.