Aspirant leaves ODM in a huff over missing name from party register
By Kepher Otieno, March 24, 2022
Apprehension within the Orange Democratic Movement over the looming party primaries deepened yesterday after another parliamentary aspirant quit in a huff, saying his name had been mysteriously removed from the register.
Nelson Oluoch, who was seeking the Rongo parliamentary seat on the party’s ticket announced his defection from the party, saying the primaries were already “rigged” in favour of his opponent; area MP Paul Abuor.
In a letter to the party’s National Elections Board, Oluoch protested: “I wish to tender my resignation from the party and also withdraw my candidature for the Rongo parliamentary seat on ODM ticket with immediate effect. This has been occasioned by a number of underhand dealings going on within the party.”
He went on to state: “It has come to my attention that 25 days to the nominations, my name does not appear in the party register in my polling station. The confirmation from USSD*483*036# indicated “Null” for my polling station. I have been a member of ODM from 2008 and paid a life member from 2019. I do not understand how my name would all of a sudden disappear from the register.”
The decision was received with glee in Abuor’s camp. He wrote; God is great. My only opponent in ODM has withdrawn from the party primaries. .”
While Oluoch’s defection leaves Abuor as the man to beat in the Rongo contset given the party’s fanatical following in the region, it is likely to heighten fears among ODM hopefuls that the primaries will not be free and fair.