MP gets ODM ticket as rival's petition thrown out

Gem MP Elisha Odhiambo. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has issued the Gem parliamentary ticket to MP Elisha Odhiambo ending weeks of speculation.

MP Odhiambo was awarded the ticket today morning.

His advocate Evans Oruenjo confirmed that the party had issued Odhiambo with the ticket.

This comes only a day after the MP filed an appeal to the political party’s tribunal asking it to charge the party's National Election Board (NEB) with contempt of court.

In his appeal dated May 12, 2022, he had also asked the tribunal to use its powers to directly forward his name to Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC) for gazettment as the nominee for Gem parliamentary seat.

In his application certified as urgent, he argued that NEB had disregarded the tribunal’s orders directing it to issue him the party ticket on April 30, 2022.

The MP had challenged ODM’s decision to withdraw his win in the April 13 party primaries where he got 7,405 votes against his fiercest rival Jalango Midiwo's 6,384.

After nullifying Odhiambo’s victory, ODM’s central committee directed NEB to issue a direct ticket to Midiwo, the brother of the late Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo.

Odhiambo had been accused of entertaining violence during the polls, allegations he denied.

In his petition to the tribunal, Midiwo had cited an incident where police arrested over 15 people and confiscated an assortment of weapons on the day of the primaries.

Dissatisfied with the outcome, Midiwo filed a complaint with Disputes Resolution Tribunal.