ODM NEC passes 6 resolutions ahead of National Delegates Conference

The Orange Democratic Movement's National Executive Committee met in Nairobi on Thursday, where six resolutions were passed ahead of the party's National Delegates Conference set to be held on February 26.

In a statement shared by ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, the NEC resolved to ratify the former prime minister Raila Odinga as the party’s presidential candidate.

The ODM NEC also agreed that the party would formally join the Azimio la Umoja coalition.

ODM party leader Raila Odinga during a meeting with party leaders in Nairobi Pulse Live Kenya

“It was resolved as follows amongst other things; that it be proposed to the National Governing Council to ratify the decision by NEC that the Orange Democratic Movement formally Joins the Azimio La Umoja coalition/coalition party.

“That further the NGC/NDC of the party do propose the Right Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga the Presidential Candidate for the Azimio La Umoja coalition/coalition party,” read part of the statement.

The ODM NEC also resolved to postpone the election of the party’s national officials to sometime in 2023.

The committee also agreed to propose four methods of selecting flagbearers in the August 2022 polls, including consensus, direct nomination, delegates system and universal suffrage by members of the party.

"The National Elections Board is directed to forthwith invite applications for candidates seeking the party's ticket for positions of Governor, MP, and Member of County Assembly," the statement read.

ODM party leader Raila Odinga at the Kasarani Stadium during the Azimio la Umoja Convention Pulse Live Kenya

The NEC also resolved to introduce the Disability League and the Council of County Coordinating Committee Chairs as organs of the party.

The proposals passed by the NEC will be presented to party members during the Saturday NDC for adoption by members of the party.

On Wednesday, the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal dismissed a petition seeking to stop the conference set for this weekend.

The petitioners argued that they had objected and voiced concerns about the proposed NDC, but that the party refused to address their issues.

They were concerned that some life members of the party had been excluded from the list of those invited for the NDC.

However, according to the tribunal, the petitioner did not demonstrate that they exhausted the party’s internal dispute resolution mechanisms before approaching the court.