ODM to repeat governor nominations in Teso
ODM National Election Board chairperson Judith Pareno, who announced that a repeat nomination for the Busia governor's seat will be conducted only in Teso South and Teso North constituencies. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Dr Otuoma rejected the results, which show him losing by a margin of 30,000 votes to Mr Ojaamong.
- The party has grappled with numerous challenges in the nominations, but the party cautions against exaggerating the extent of the irregularities.
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has thrown a new twist in the controversial Busia governorship nominations by saying a repeat will only be conducted in Teso North and Teso South constituencies.
The party's National Elections Board chairperson Judith Pareno said all the other five constituencies in the county posted acceptable results.
"We are trying as much as possible to be orderly. We are governed by the nomination rules. We did cancel this because (it) was irregular...and we thought a repeat was fair," she told reporters at Orange House in Nairobi on Monday.
The nominations pitting incumbent Sospeter Ojaamong against Funyula MP Paul Otuoma ran into controversy Thursday after the two Teso constituencies, currently led by Jubilee MPs, posted more votes than the total number of registered voters.
RESULTS REJECTED
Dr Otuoma rejected the results, which show him losing by a margin of 30,000 votes to Mr Ojaamong.
The board immediately cancelled the results, but Dr Otuoma demanded that he be given the certificate.
Initially, the party said it would repeat the entire elections for governor and promised to swap the county board officials.
ODM may have sparked a new controversy by focusing only on Teso constituencies, perceived to be Mr Ojaamong's strongest bases.
Dr Otuoma's supporters accuse the party of giving his rival a second chance to rig.
But the board says it will use its membership register and supplement it with one from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
NUMEROUS CHALLENGES
The IEBC is yet to release its latest register, after listing new members in February.
But asked to state the actual number of party members in Teso, Ms Pareno said she did not have the figures, arguing that the register was updated as recently as March 27 this year.
The party has grappled with numerous challenges in the nominations.
Ms Pareno, however, argued there have been irregularities only in 10 per cent of areas where nominations have been held.
In Narok County, the board nullified elections in Kilgoris constituency, after one candidate was found stuffing votes in ballot boxes. The candidate has since been disqualified, she said.
Nomination results were also cancelled in Khwisero, Kakamega County, while voting did not even start in Matungu.
