- ODM chairperson Gladys Wanga defended Senator Edwin Sifuna’s ouster as secretary general, saying it followed party constitutional procedures
- She revealed that 34 of the 40 NEC members attended the meeting, with two sending apologies, making the organ fully constituted to make binding decisions
- Wanga criticised Sifuna for indiscipline, arguing that defying party resolutions cannot be disguised as democracy or freedom of expression
ODM national chairperson Gladys Wanga says the ouster of Senator Edwin Sifuna from the ODM secretary general post was procedural and in line with the party constitution.
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Sifuna’s removal ignited a political storm with his allies questioning the legitimacy of the organ that ratified the decision.
How many ODM NEC members authorised Sifuna’s ouster?
Speaking in Lamu on Thursday, February 12, Wanga said the threshold was met to legitimise Sifuna’s ouster.
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The Homa Bay County governor revealed that 34 out of the 40 members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) met under the leadership of party leader, Siaya senator Oburu Oginga.
She added that two members sent their apologies for non-attendance.
“Party officials must observe the issues decided by the party. I have seen people arguing that NEC was illegal and made an illegal decision. The ODM NEC is fully constituted by 40 members. Yesterday, we had 34 out of the 40 members attended and we had two apologies, which means the organ is properly and can take any decision in line with the constitution of the party,” she said.
At the same time, she took a jibe at Sifuna, whom she accused of being indisciplined and straying from the key decisions of the party.
Wanga argued that the embattled secretary general is mistaken to oppose the party and mask it as the right to express himself.
“And we want the whole party to move together forward. But indiscipline cannot be mistaken for democracy,” the governor said.
Why ODM NEC ejected Edwin Sifuna
The resolution to oust Sifuna from the SG post was realised at the NEC meeting presided over by Oburu in Mombasa on Wednesday, February 11.
According to the organ, Sifuna had strayed from the party’s official stance, particularly on its cooperation with Ruto.
The NEC noted that ODM is governed by its constitution and collective decision-making, and after reviewing Sifuna’s actions, declared his role as secretary general untenable.
As a result, Busia woman representative Catherine Omanyo was appointed interim secretary general, with the party stressing that the move adhered to its constitutional procedures.
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The ouster would later take a legal turn, with the senator moving to court to challenge it.
The Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT) responded to the senator’s petition in the affirmative, issuing an order halting the implementation of ODM’s NEC resolution.
The tribunal also barred party officials from publishing the resolution in the Kenya Gazette, a critical step that would have formalised and enacted his removal.
This decision effectively freezes any changes to the party’s top leadership until the matter is fully heard and determined.
The matter was put up for mention on February 26.
Why Sifuna defied his ejection from ODM SG post
Earlier, Sifuna had insisted that he would not vacate his secretary general post for whatever reason.
In any case, he argued, the current leadership was illegally installed to undertake such grave matters as his expulsion.
Sifuna pledged to safeguard Raila Odinga’s legacy, insisting he would not be swayed by resistance from allies of the current party leader.
He accused Oburu’s leadership of recklessly pursuing an alliance with President William Ruto, stressing that his only “offence” was refusing to cooperate with Ruto.
From the outset, the Nairobi senator argued that Oburu’s rise to the helm of ODM was illegitimate, lacking the authority to oversee major decisions such as his removal.
He further claimed that Oburu’s faction had consistently undermined efforts by ODM trustees to foster unity through dialogue.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
