Obado laughs off ODM warning over Migori by-election

Migori County Governor Zachary OKoth Obado addresses members of the public at a past event. [Caleb King'wara, Standard]

Migori Governor Okoth Obado has declared that he will not back down in his battle against ODM over the choice of Ochillo Ayacko as the party candidate in the October 8 Senate by-election.

Mr Obado laughed off threats of disciplinary action by the party. The governor said he will not be coerced into supporting an “unpopular candidate.”

“Why would anyone even imagine gagging me for exercising my freedom of choice? There is absolutely no justification. What law have I broken? It is their own imagination,” he said, adding: “Those threats are neither here nor there.”

Speaking to the Sunday Standard yesterday, Obado accused ODM of using unorthodox means to mobilise support for Mr Ayacko.

“They are intimidating everyone on sight, including MCAs. They have scaled up smear campaigns in which they plan to use corruption allegations and social media against me to cajole me into submission. I will not be cowed,” he said.

“What we’re seeing in Migori is outright dictatorship by the party,” he said.