Babu Owino will get ODM ticket if he wins nominations – Oburu Oginga declares

Acting Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Dr. Oburu Oginga has moved to calm growing tensions within the party, saying Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino has no reason to fear being locked out of the race for the Nairobi gubernatorial ticket.

Speaking during an interview on Ramogi TV on Tuesday night, Oburu said he does not see any problem with Babu’s ambition and dismissed talk that the party could deny him the ticket should he win the nominations.

“I do not see anything wrong with Babu Owino, although I hear there are some issues that may be troubling him,” Oburu said.

“I do not know why he believes he cannot be given the ODM ticket to vie for Nairobi Governor. I do not think there can be any reason to deny him the ticket if he wins the nominations. If he wins, he will get it (the ticket), so let him not run away (from the party).”

He urged all aspirants to prepare for an open contest, adding that the nomination process will be fair and transparent.

“Anyone who wants the party ticket in the Nairobi Governor race should just declare and square it out openly among each other… let nobody run away because they think they will be denied a chance. Nobody can take the ticket away from you if you win it and you’re a member of the party,” he said.

Oburu revealed that he has been trying to reach out to Babu to personally reassure him of the party’s position.

“I have not found him (Babu Owino) yet but I’m looking for him… I have sent people to look for him… I know I will find him soon… so that we can have a conversation and I can tell him to keep calm and not worry,” he added.

Turning to ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, who has been accused of speaking with a double voice - one as the party’s spokesperson and another in his personal capacity - Oburu said there is no cause for concern.

“Sifuna is the one who read out the resolutions of the party after our meeting (on Monday). I have spoken to him, and he has no problem,” he said.

“As a young person, sometimes he can become restless and go a little overboard, but he is with us and he will stay with us. There’s nothing he has done to warrant us removing him from the party. If he goes astray, as our child, we may just discipline him a little but within the party.”

Oburu also weighed in on the debate about who should succeed the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga as the next Luo political kingpin, saying such leadership cannot be appointed or predetermined.

“There’s no forum where a Luo kingpin is elected. A kingpin will sprout out of nowhere like a mushroom; someone will just emerge and take Raila’s space, but not from his agemates like myself,” he remarked.

“There are young leaders cropping up and one of them will step up and take that place. But if we handpick somebody and the people do not accept him, then they will still not be kingpin.”