By Anderson Ojwang
EALA MP Winnie Odinga could on Friday find herself becoming one of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) deputy party leaders at the Special National Delegates Conference (SNDC).
ODM Deputy Party leader Abdulsamad Nassir said there was a possibility for a consideration for Winnie to be made as one of the deputy party leaders.
He said a proposal had been made by the Nairobi branch and the SNDC could consider it after the party leader Dr Oburu Oginga’s position is ratified by the delegates at the convention.
“Winnie qualifies to be deputy party leader. There is a proposition which has been done by delegates in Nairobi. In this SNDC, the agenda has been published but in the same way we got into office.
A proposal can come in to make her deputy party leader and the proposal can be considered once our party leader has been ratified. It is something that can definitely be discussed. She has a future. I said this at Raila Odinga’s funeral,” he said.
ODM National chairman Gladys Wanga said Winnie qualified but the SNDC was called for the purpose of ratification of the officials, and they will have an ordinary NDC at the end of every fifth year.
Recently ODM Nairobi branch delegates endorsed Winnie for the position of deputy party leader, citing the need to fill a leadership gap in the capital.
The endorsement, backed by representatives from all 17 constituencies in the county, comes amid calls for equitable regional representation within the party’s top leadership.
Makadara MP George Aladwa said consultations over the past two months culminated in the decision to front Winnie.
“We have had several meetings in the last two months to look for a representative. Every region has representation in the party. Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga left us with no representative in the Nairobi region,” Aladwa said.
Winnie said the Nairobi branch must have a seat at the SNDC on March 27th because of their contribution and that ODM was her home.
“ODM is our home. ODM is the party my father built. Why should I leave and go where? I will remain in ODM. In this journey it has not been easy. We still have a place to go and the party position should be considered for those people who have put their lives in the struggle. It is in Nairobi where we demonstrate and not the villages. There are no demos in the villages. You cannot deny Nairobi its right. Nairobi must have a seat on the day. On March 27th, Nairobi will have our day and say,” she said.
Wanga said the dissenting faction in the party was free to attend the convention as they were delegates and dismissed the parallel NDC as a non-issue and starter.
She said they followed the party constitution in calling for the SNDC and are guided by the law and the constitution of the party.
The two factions have planned for separate conventions, with the ODM wing of Linda Ground set to hold its Special National Delegates Conference (SNDC).
Similarly, the Linda Mwanainchi faction will also hold a parallel People’s National Delegates Conference and is also planting legal obstacles for the party leader Dr Oburu Oginga-led wing.
In a press conference, the Linda Mwanainchi faction led by Siaya Governor James Orengo, ODM deputy party leader Geoffrey Osotsi and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino announced a parallel NDC to rival the Oburu group.
“On 27th we will hold the People’s National Delegates Convention which will run parallel to the SNDC which has been called by the Linda Ground faction,” Osotsi said.
Interestingly, the deputy party leader, Osotsi also revealed that already some people have moved to court to challenge the legality of the SNDC by the Linda Ground team.
“Some of the ODM members have gone to court questioning the legitimacy and the legality of the NDC,” he said.
Osotsi also termed the SNDC as illegal, unconstitutional and undemocratic and instead asked the ODM delegates to attend the people’s convention.
“Linda Mwanainchi, we have made a decision that we are not going to participate in the NDC that has been convened and organized by the Linda Ground group. This is because the NDC is illegal, unconstitutional and undemocratic,” he said.
He claimed that Linda Ground were compiling a list of fake delegates to attend the convention.
“They are compiling a list of fake delegates to attend their SNDC. So any ODM members be aware that the SNDC convened by Linda Ground is illegal and should be avoided like a plague. Let them attend the people’s NDC.
That must come out clearly. We control 35 counties of the 47 counties. We expect genuine delegates to attend our meeting as opposed to theirs, which will be fake delegates,” he claimed.
