ODM leader Raila Odinga has asked the party’s supporters to prepare for possibly lengthy but credible nomination of candidates for all elective positions.

Do you have a lead on a newsworthy story? Share news tips with us here at Hivisasa!

Raila told a delegation of parliamentary aspirants from Budalangi Constituency that the party will be prepared to hold repeat nominations in places where there are complaints until the right candidate is identified.

“We would like to get the candidate on day one of nominations. But if need be, we will repeat the exercise even up to ten times until people are satisfied that the correct candidate has been identified in a free and fair manner,” he said on Wednesday after meeting ODM aspirants for elective positions in the forthcoming General Election from Budalang'i.

That, he said, is the reason the exercise will begin months before the deadline set by the IEBC for submission of names of candidates. 

The opposition leader said the last minute nominations of the past cost the party, when unpopular candidates got certificates through short cuts and violence.

He asked the aspirants and grassroots leaders to ensure there is no vacuum in places where incumbents have defected.

Reviewing the 2013 elections, Raila said chaotic nominations made ODM lose seats it should have won easily and promised that will be a thing of the past.

“ODM will not lose any seat it is holding today. It will also regain all the seats it lost by mistake in 2013, and we must win the presidential vote by a huge margin. All that must begin with proper mobilisation at the grassroots and nomination process,” the ODM leader said.

He cited Teso, Turkana, Kajiado and Marsabit as counties where he got majority presidential votes only for the Parliamentary and other seats to go to Jubilee. He promised it would not happen again.

The ODM leader asked all aspirants seeking the party’s ticket to campaign with decorum and stop fighting and tarnishing each other and focus on Jubilee Party instead.

“Aspirants seeking our ticket must not look at the nomination stage as the war. The real war comes later and it is against Jubilee. That is where aspirants must train their guns,” he said.

The aspirants were led by the deputy chairman of ODM in Busia Patrick Obongoya, county ODM secretary Innocent Oluku and Budalangi chairman George Ndege.

Others were Leonard Wanda Obimbira, Vincent David Obara, Vincent Juma Abwoga, Albert Gumo, Ms Constantine Obuya and Honestus Odipo.