Mombasa gubernatorial aspirant Suleiman Shahbal has hit out at one of his opponents, saying he needs no endorsement to go for the county’s top seat.
His bluster comes barely two weeks after Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir castigated him as a party hopper who is now singing the Orange Democratic Movement’s tune and yet he ran against it in the last two elections.
In an exclusive interview with the Nation, Mr Shahbal, who a fortnight ago decamped from the Wiper party back to ODM, said he is a tough competitor with grassroots support that he believed will give him the opposition party’s nomination without anybody’s endorsement.
“Why are they scared? If they are confident that they will bag the nomination, then they should just chill out. Let the people decide. It will be interesting to see what these people who are describing me as a Johnny-come-lately would have done in 2013, if they were in my position,” he said.
“With Governor Hassan Joho’s strong roots within the party, I stood no chance. Even for those castigating me, what would they have done? Stayed out in the cold for ten years, or find another home?”
Governor Joho, who is serving his last term, has been open about his support for Mr Nassir, noting that he will join national politics while the latter will take charge of regional politics in Mombasa.
Now Mr Shahbal says he is not scared of facing off with his opponents. The Mombasa businessman added that his personal relations with ODM leader Raila Odinga goes beyond politics and the party, noting that they have travelled together to many places looking for investments.
“So, I’m not a Johnny-come-lately in his circle, and sure, our relations go beyond politics, but ODM has always been my home. It is where I started as a politician. They should relax. I’m just back home,” Mr Shahbal said.
“People should not panic. The reality is that my entry into ODM in Mombasa has created a lot of excitement and energised the party. It is not important on how long you have been a member of it, but what you have brought to the table?”
He added: “When I started in 2013 seeking a political position, I opted to go for ODM. But then I realised Governor Joho had deeper roots within the party, and his loyalty to Mr Odinga was unquestionable. It was unrealistic to expect that the party would give me the ticket. And that explains why I opted out and sought the gubernatorial position on another ticket.”
Two weeks ago, on a visit to the Coast region, Mr Odinga maintained that his party will conduct free and fair nominations ahead of next year’s General Election, rekindling the fight between loyal members and those they regard as “party hoppers”.
A secret meeting between Mr Odinga and Mr Shahbal set tongues wagging, and sent back to the drawing board Mr Nassir, who expected to have a direct nomination to contest the governorship.
Mr Shahbal says his re-entry into the opposition party is to re-energise it, given its dwindling fortunes in the Coast region.
“Where was all this energy? Suddenly, I rejoin ODM, and everyone starts getting excited. Perhaps that is what the party needed. I have excited the rank and file, and this means we should start actively promoting the party,” he said.
Even though he has put on a brave face and encouraged other people to join and strengthen the party ahead of next year’s election, Mr Nassir seems to have been rubbed the wrong way by the party’s decision to accept Mr Shahbal back to its fold.
Mr Nassir castigated Mr Shahbal, who in the last campaign season was in the forefront blackmailing ODM while campaigning for Jubilee.
“We have seen some who have been at the forefront tarnishing the name of Raila and his party, claiming it’s a tribal party, coming back,” Mr Nassir said.
“I would like to tell him, I will be the Mombasa governor on an ODM ticket since we know voters and the party is not short of mind. They can recall and know who is for his own interests and not those of the party in his heart.”
He added that the party will hand him a direct nomination to run for governor because “party loyalty is expensive”.
Mr Nassir has been an ODM member and a close ally of Mr Joho, but recently Mr Shahbal has been implementing several projects with the Mombasa County government, raising questions about what is expected in the coming months.
Already, several members of Mr Joho’s 2017 campaign team have moved to spearhead Mr Shahbal’s campaign strategies.
