Oburu concedes defeat to Onchanda in Bondo nominations

Nominated MP Oburu Oginga. (Photo: Denish Ochieng, Standard)

Nominated MP Oburu Oginga has conceded defeat in the Monday ODM nominations in Bondo Constituency.

Oginga was floored by incumbent Gideon Ochanda with 28,446 votes against 4,000, results which Oginga rejected at first.

Following the party's decision to uphold Ochanda's victory in the official list read by Chairperson of the National Elections Board Judy Pareno, Oginga has now accepted the outcome.

Addressing journalists in Nairobi Sunday, Oginga thanked the people of Bondo who he had served for four terms and said he will be available to serve his party in any other capacity.

"My decision to abide by the party's position in declaring Gideon Ochanda as the winner in the hotly contested nominations does not mean that I will be getting out of active politics because even right now, I am the Bondo Constituency Chairperson of ODM party," he said.

Oginga has served as Bondo MP since 1994, when his father Jaramogi Oginga Odinga passed on, giving rise to a by-election.

In 2013, however he didn't contest, but he got nominated.

ODM Director of Political Affairs Opiyo Wandayi said the party accepts the position taken by Oginga as it was a 'rare sense democratic maturity' and urged other aspirants in ODM nominations to follow suit.

"Oburu, by voluntarily accepting the verdict of the party, has set an example which as a party we would urge everyone else to follow,” said the Ugunja MP who had accompanied Oburu.

He said ODM is a mass movement, and at no point should personal interests override those of the party or movement for that matter.

"I appeal to those who lost in one way or another to follow the example and accept the position of the party," said Wandayi.

Wandayi added that unity of the party is very key in sending Jubilee home, and urged all the aspirants taking part in the nominations to ensure that no rifts arise which could harm the party's ambition to have their leader get to State House come August.