Jared Nyataya | NATION DPM Musalia Mudavadi with Lurambi MP Manyala Keya (left) and ODM Nandi chairman Jacob Keino at a press briefing in Kapsabet .
By PETER LEFTIE pmutibo@ke.nationmedia.com AND BERNARD NAMUNANE bnamunane@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Thursday, February 16 2012 at 22:30
Posted Thursday, February 16 2012 at 22:30
IN SUMMARY
- Orange party forms rapid response team to prevail upon deputy PM to step aside for Raila
A fire-fighting team of ODM key leaders has resolved to prevail upon Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi to drop his presidential bid to pave the way for his boss Raila Odinga to become the party’s flag bearer in the next elections.The team of 18 members — nine Cabinet ministers, four assistant ministers and five MPs — agreed that Mr Mudavadi’s withdrawal from the ODM presidential nominations race was the only way “to save the party from an imminent split”.
The members of the ODM’s Rapid Response Team, which is chaired by Regional Development Authorities Minister Fred Gumo, held their meeting on Wednesday night at Lilian Towers, Nairobi.
They resolved to summon both Mr Odinga and Mr Mudavadi to a meeting soon to ask the Local Government Minister to step down in favour of the PM. (READ: History repeats itself in Raila-Mudavadi polls debate)
Assistant minister Alfred Khang’ati and Kisauni MP Hassan Joho confirmed the meeting took place at the venue, but declined to give any details.
“What I can confirm is that a few of us held a meeting during which confidential matters affecting the party were discussed. These are matters confidential, which I cannot tell you,” Mr Khang’ati, the assistant minister in the PM’s office, said.
Asked about the meeting, Mr Joho said: “It was a secret meeting. I do not want to be accused of letting out the party’s secrets.”
Among those who attended the two-and-half-hour meeting were Cabinet ministers William ole Ntimama, James Orengo, Dalmas Otieno, Paul Otuoma, Chris Obure, Joseph Nyaga, Musa Sirma and Franklin Bett.
Even though the team is tasked to arbitrate any conflicts in the party, most of the members are key allies of Mr Odinga and have openly voiced their concern about Mr Mudavadi’s presidential bid.
The PM and his deputy are fighting out for the party’s presidential ticket in the next polls. At the moment, they are criss-crossing the country meeting delegates in preparation for the party’s nominations expected to take place in April this year.
Even though Mr Mudavadi, the Sabatia MP, who accepted defeat in the 2007 ODM presidential primaries to become Mr Odinga’s running mate has faced calls to step down, he has maintained that it is the party’s delegates who will make the decision.
The meeting resolved to table their proposal before the party’s national executive committee meeting next week.
Also to be tabled will be the demand for the organ to clear the cloud over whether the presidential nominations will be conducted at the county level or at the National Delegates Conference. (READ:Mudavadi warns ODM on delegates)
Mr Odinga and Mr Mudavadi are at odds over the manner of nominating a presidential candidate with the former favouring the NDC while the latter backs county nominations.
The NEC/PG meeting, it was also understood, will ask the two leaders to start holding joint rallies to eliminate allegations of a split in the party.
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Mudavadi should not be forced to step down. It will be a trick. I would advise Mudavadi to continue with his campaigns to try his luck to win the State House seat. A leader is never chosen by humans but God Himself.
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