Some Orange Democratic Movement MPs have started plotting a coup on National Assembly Committee positions held by Ford-Kenya after party leader Moses Wetang’ula threatened to quit NASA.
The leaders spoke as ODM Chairman John Mbadi maintained that NASA will not be dissolved. The coalition comprises Amani National Congress (ANC), ODM, Ford-Kenya and Wiper parties.
Mr Mbadi explained that dissolution of NASA is a long process that will involve convening a National Executive Council (NEC) and National Governing Council (NGC).
This will be followed by a National Delegates Conference (NDC) to formally and legally disband the coalition as guided by the Political Parties Act.
The ODM chairman said if Ford-Kenya is serious that it wants to pull out of the coalition, “then let it make good its threat by writing to the Registrar of Political Parties (RPP) expressing their intention. Otherwise we treat statements doing rounds on the social media that NASA is now a shell as premature.
“At the moment these threats are smoke and mirrors theatrics which do not directly and openly for call for political expediency,” Mbadi told Sunday Standard.
ODM legislators have vowed that they will not be intimidated by Wetang’ula. “We want to treat the statement made by Wetang’ula with the contempt that it deserves. If anything we are convinced it was done out of emotions,” Mbadi asserted
MPs Elisha Odhiambo (Gem) and Samwel Atandi (Alego Usonga) waded into the debate saying they are tired of Ford-Kenya’s threats.
Political oblivion
“We keep on being threatened by Wetang’ula and his members that they have either quit NASA or the coalition is dead or headed into political oblivion. It is high time Ford-Kenya leaders made good their threats by taking the necessary legal steps to formally exit the coalition, if they so wish,” Mr Odhiambo told the press in Kisumu
He added: “I want to declare interest to take over the post of Deputy Minority whip held by Kiminini MP Chris Wamalwa of Ford-Kenya.”
The Gem MP, who was speaking at the Standard offices in Kisumu, said he will lobby legislators to take the seats.
ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna challenged the Ford-Kenya Party leader to formally quit NASA. “We remind Wetang’ula that coalitions are not dissolved at funerals and village barazas,” he said.
