IEBC Calls for a Meeting With Mombasa Gubernatorial Candidates

By Tobby Otum

Immediate former Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir who is ODM Mombasa gubernatorial candidate has confirmed they have all been called for a consultative meeting to be held at the Bomas of Kenya in Nairobi a day after to the postponement of the exercise.

He said he demanded to be told which commissioners will hold the consultative forum with them in the capital city.

“As per my understanding the electoral body has two factions, one being led by chairman Wafula Chebukati and the other by vice chairperson Juliana Cherera,” he pointed out.

Abdulswamad told the electoral body to stop referring to the much awaited port city gubernatorial race as a by election.

He was speaking during a press conference held at the Swahili Pot in Mvita constituency offices in Mombasa county.

The ODM gubernatorial candidate told journalists he has cautioned the IEBC to stop misleading county electorate that the race to succeed incumbent Hassan Joho is a by election.

Abdulswamad told off IEBC for failing to abide by the constitution and the laid down laws by postponing the race until further notice.

He sought to correct the IEBC in its notion that the gubernatorial race was not part and parcel of the just concluded general election.

“The electoral body will go into the country’s history books for being unable to conduct the general election for all the elective seats in the just ended polls,” he added.

The outgoing legislator blasted the IEBC for calling for a candidates’ meeting after things went out of hand instead of being held before the postponement of the exercise.

Abdulswamad scoffed at the electoral body for giving lame excuses for the postponement of the governor race by claiming it was due to escalating insecurity issues.

He insisted his stand is clear and the race must be held as stipulated without any further postponement.

“I am aware the electoral body is trying to buy time in view of the presidential petition challenging the declaration of the Kenya Kwanza candidate who is Deputy President William Ruto as president during an election which was marred with chaos and violence,” he pointed out.