Raila Odinga's legal team meets IEBC over running mate

Azimio la Umoja presidential aspirant Raila Odinga. [Emmanuel Wanson, Standard]

Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya presidential candidate Raila Odinga will today make a final attempt to convince the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to postpone the Thursday deadline for submission of his running mate's name.

Mr Odinga, who jets back into the country tomorrow, will be banking on his legal team to convince IEBC to push forward the April 28 deadline to pick a running mate. The legal team is scheduled to meet IEBC commissioners at 10am today.

On Sunday, the electoral agency affirmed the deadline, following a protest letter from Azimio over the commission's Election Operations Plan, which had fixed Thursday as the deadline for the submission of presidential and governor candidates and their running mates.

A meeting initially scheduled for yesterday was postponed to allow the IEBC team, led by Commission Chairman Wafula Chebulati, to pay their last respects to the late President Mwai Kibaki at Parliament.

Yesterday, Azimio-One Kenya Coalition Council Secretary-General Junet Mohamed said the legal team had held a brief meeting with some IEBC commissioners to highlight issues of contention. However, a more comprehensive meeting was pushed to today, he said.

"The final position after that meeting will inform our way forward on the running mate issue, including for the advisory team that was to help our candidate pick his running mate," said Junet.