Wajir Governor: I won election fair and square

Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi yesterday maintained he was duly elected and dismissed claims that he benefited from election malpractices and illegalities.

However, he admitted having a parallel tallying centre at his residence in Wajir County.

While testifying before Justice George Nduru, Abdullahi said he won fair and the election at the county was transparent contrary to the allegations by the petitioner, former National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) Chief Executive Officer Hassan Adam.

The Governor urged the court to dismiss the petition and allow him to serve the people of Wajir.

“I urge this court to find the petition devoid of merit and consequently affirm my election as governor,” Abdullahi said while being led in his evidence by lawyer Omwanza Ombati. 

The governor dismissed allegations by the petitioner that counting and tallying of votes was marred by padding of votes, exaggeration of voter turnout, irregular and unlawful assisted voting and unlawful ejection of petitioner’s agents.

Abdulllahi was further put to task to explain to the court how politics in Wajir is largely clan-based. 

In response, he explained that any popular candidate can win the elections without clans’ influence.

He told the court that there are 12 Degodia sub-clans and 11 had endorsed him and only the Fai sub-clan, to which Adam belongs, had not done so.

He said the sub-clan had produced four candidates running for the office of the governor (Ugas Mohamed, Mohamed Elmi, Mohamed Abdi Mohamud and the petitioner).

At the same time, the Governor agreed with the petitioner’s allegations that there was violence at the Eldas constituency during the August 9 elections but not enough to postpone elections.

He, however, told the court that he was not aware when the violence was contained by the security personnel, adding that the fracas was occasioned by a disagreement between two parliamentary candidates.

“I am aware there was insecurity incidents at Wajir East constituency on August 6 and 7 and we buried four people and that was not a reason to postpone elections,” said Abdullahi.

He told the court that it was not the first time such incidents had occurred in the constituency.

The court heard that the communication for the postponement of the Eldas constituency election was done by the IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati after he received complaints of insecurity.

The governor further told the court that the electoral commission could not be faulted for the violence that led to the postponement of election.

Alleged meeting

Abdullai said the Supreme Court ruled on the matter of postponement of elections in the presidential election petition.

The court further heard that the petitioner had sought a post-election pact to be accommodated in the county government, as a condition to withdraw a petition he had filed.

Adam was also pushed by the defence lawyer Omwanza about an alleged meeting with Governor Abdullahi where he allegedly sought an appointment in the county government as a condition for withdrawing the petition.

“Did you meet the Governor in an attempt to negotiate? You recall you met the first respondent (Abdullahi) a city hotel?”  asked Ombati.

The petitioner was also asked whether he had negotiated for the position of the Speaker of the County Assembly, the County Secretary and County Executive Committee Member for Finance.

In his response, Adam admitted that a meeting, which he said was facilitated by elders, took place.

Adam has challenged the election of Abdullahi alleging that the election was not free, fair and transparent.

He claims Ahmed was not validly elected and the IEBC did not put in mechanisms to ensure the voters were biometrically identified before being allowed to vote in a number of polling stations in the county.

He also argues that IEBC unlawfully postponed the election in Eldas Constituency to 10 August. 

The petitioner claims there was no communication to the candidates in relation to the postponement yet they had already deployed agents to polling stations.

“As a consequence of this unlawful postponement, there was interference with the voting held on 10 August with cases of intimidation and coercion of voters in several polling stations in Eldas Constituency,” says Adam.

The petitioner vied for the governor’s seat on Jubilee party ticket and lost to Abdullahi of Orange Democratic Movement.  He garnered 27,224 votes against Abdullahi’s 35,533.