ODM Issues Warning to Lifetime Party Members Ahead of February 26 NDC

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has issued a statement, warning party members ahead of the much anticipated National Delegates Convention (NDC).

The party is set to hold the NDC on February 26, 2022, but a session will be hosted by the National Executive Committee (NEC) a day earlier.

However, the NDC has since faced opposition from members of the party who claim to have been left out of the NDC despite being lifetime members of ODM. This prompted a statement from the party.

"Not every LIFE MEMBER of the party is a DELEGATE to the National Delegates Convention," ODM stated on Monday, February 21, 2022.

The party had announced that only 3,000 members will be allowed in the February 26 NDC.

“Dear members and supporters, the National Delegates Convention (NDC) scheduled for Sat. 26th February 2022 is only for the 3,000 delegates comprising Governors, Deputy Governors, MPs, top branch and county officials and MCAs,” ODM announced.

Presidential hopeful Jimi Wanjigi has since opposed the ODM NDC set to be held at the Nyayo National Stadium, claiming that the party failed to include the matter of flag bearer as one of the agendas of the NDC.

According to the businessman, ODM has not made any decision on the flag bearer for August 9 and the same should be done in accordance with the party’s constitution.

A group claiming to be ODM delegates from Mt. Kenya and Eastern regions and aligned to the businessman on Wednesday, February 16 gave the party a one-week ultimatum to include the flag bearer in its NDC agenda or move to court to block the delegates’ meeting.

“If the above demands are not met within the next seven days, we will file a case to halt the NDC. We have already written to the Registrar of Political Parties and the Party’s National Election Board (NEB) on this crucial matter,” Nyandarua ODM delegate John Njenga said.

“We urge all ODM members and delegates to NDC to be extremely vigilant. ODM cannot be the Party to extinguish democracy.”

Wanjigi has since written to ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna demanding that the notice be recalled over the omission of the presidential candidate from the agenda.

“As an aspirant for the party’s presidential ticket, the omission of this critical agenda at the Convention, in my considered view, is unreasonable, smells of ulterior motive, and is meant to curtail my rights as a life member of the party to participate in the party’s affairs,” he said.

ODM chairman John Mbadi on February 16 scoffed at the court’s threats saying Wanjigi will not dictate the agenda of the top party’s organ.

“Who said it is him to dictate to us the agenda of the NDC? It is the NGC to approve the agenda after NEC agrees on the agenda,” Mbadi said on phone.

“Why would he interfere with the running of the party, there is a process. He should go and read the party’s constitution.”

According to the National Assembly minority leader, Wanjigi has not exhausted the internal dispute resolution mechanism as required by the law.

“You cannot stop any Kenyan from going to court but on what grounds now? He should write to NEC to propose an agenda that he wants to be included.”

“If he does not get hearing from NEC, he can register his dispute with Political parties tribunal. His lawyer should advise him. He is a member of our party, why is he assuming that the party will not hear him? The chairman will hear him," Mbadi stated.