“I cant compete against Raila for presidency”, Oparanya says

Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya says he won’t compete against his party leader Raila Odinga for the presidential seat come 2022.

The ODM deputy party leader, in an interview on Monday evening, said he will consider running for another seat in the event Raila opts to give his fifth stab at the presidency.

According to the former Chair of the Council of Governors, the ODM boss is his long term buddy and he won’t consider staging a political battle against him because of his respect towards the ODM leader.

“If my party leader stands, I’d rather go for another post instead of opposing him. We have worked together with Raila since 2005,” Governor Oparanya told TV47.

The Kakamega boss said the outcome of the BBI will influence his decision in the event he considers going for a different seat apart from the presidency.

Oparanya also revealed it is him and his Mombasa counterpart Ali Hassan Joho who applied for the ODM party’s presidential ticket.

He said the party informed them to tour various parts of the country and popularize their bids before the delegates’ meetings that will seal their fate.

ODM party in January invited presidential hopefuls seeking its ticket to apply.

Applicants were required to be a life ODM member and were to pay KSh 1 million.

The deadline for application was set for February 26 but it was extended to March 31.

ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna on April 1 announced his party leader had applied for the presidential ticket but he rescinded his statement saying he played fools day stunt that is marked on that day.

It is therefore not clear yet whether the National Elections Board (NEB) of the party will reopen the window for application to accommodate more aspiring presidential hopefuls.

According to many close allies of the ODM leader in the party and political pundits in the country, Raila stands the highest chance of flying the party’s ticket.

Sources say the delay in processing the party presidential candidate is to give time for Raila to make up his mind so that he can be accommodated in the event he announces his bid.