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Cord co-principals Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetang’ula yesterday met in Nairobi where they discussed what their handlers said were ‘serious’ matters of the coalition.
Kalonzo and Wetang’ula, whose demand for endorsement to fly the Cord ticket in the 2017 General Election has rattled the Opposition coalition met yesterday at Serena Hotel, Nairobi without ODM leader Raila Odinga who is on a three-day tour of Kilifi and Mombasa counties.
The lunch meeting according to sources was to review the health of the coalition in the face of recent pronunciations by some ODM MPs during the Kisumu ODM @10 rally that Raila drops his co-principals and go it alone.
During the rally, a number of ODM MPs who attended the fete told Raila to ditch Cord and use ODM as his political vehicle in next year’s polls. They also called for elevation of ODM Deputy Party Leader Ali Hassan Joho to be Raila’s running mate.
In bid to quell the discord, the party yesterday distanced itself from ‘go-it-alone’ outburst and warned its leaders against making statements that could injure the unity of the coalition. ODM chairman John Mbadi expressed Orange party’s commitment to the unity of the coalition and denied claims that they are considering going to the next polls on ODM ticket and not Cord.
He said the sentiments of going it alone attributed to some party leaders do not represent the official position of the party. “ODM is not only keen to remain in Cord but also preserve and strengthen it and has not considered going it alone in the 2017 elections.
Suggestions and declarations by some party members that ODM will go it alone therefore, do not represent the thinking and the position of the party but views of individuals,” said Mbadi.
But, Raila speaking in Mombasa avoided Cord’s unity debate and instead declared that his journey to State House is unstoppable and warned the Jubilee administration to prepare to go home.
Addressing students at the Pwani University on the sidelines of the Kilifi International Investment Conference, he asked youths who have attained 18 years to register as voters.
“Today, we are here to announce to you that the Jubilee government must go home next year because Kenyans are tired… we must walk the journey together to make sure that hope is restored,” he noted.
Raila, who was the chief guest at the conference, poked holes into the Jubilee leadership accusing it of being “an enemy of devolution”.
Meanwhile, Joho has confirmed that he is still in the race for the Mombasa gubernatorial race as opposed to earlier speculations that he will be Raila’s running mate in the August 8, elections.
The flamboyant governor said his focus is to popularise the ODM party in other parts of the country and not to undermine any of the Cord co principals. Joho who was speaking in Likoni said he was still learning ‘politics’ from his political father and would not rush into such a major decision.
The governor who has been linked to funding key ODM activities said he was keen to see Odinga occupy statehouse in the next general elections.
According to Joho who has been transversing the country and accompanying Odinga to most functions said he would vie for the country’s top seat in 2022 but at the moment was comfortable being ‘ a foot soldier’ of Odinga.
However, he revealed that there are pressure from some MPs in ODM to have him be Odinga’s running mate. Joho also used the opportunity to tell of his opponents saying they are in for a rude shock since he will officially launch his campaign when the time comes.
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