Obado must go this week, ODM tells Migori ward reps

The Orange Democratic Movement on Saturday piled pressure on its Migori MCAs to ensure embattled Governor Okoth Obado is kicked out after an ouster bid failed to take off last week as planned.

The party convened delegates to a crisis meeting where it whipped the MCAs to pass the motion which was expected to be tabled before the House last week.

Governor Obado and his supporters were, however, barred from attending the meeting convened by the party's county leadership and held under tight security.

Party position

In a five point resolution read out by the ODM branch Secretary General Joseph Olala, the party restated it's earlier position for MCAs to move with speed and implement the party decision.

The Saturday meeting was attended by party chairman Mr John Mbadi, Migori Senator Ochillo Ayacko, a host of Migori MPs including Mr Paul Abuor (Rongo) Walter Owino (Awendo), Mark Nyamita (Uriri), Tom Odege (Nyatike) nominated MP Dennitah Ghati and several ODM MCAs.

It resolved to have the impeachment motion tabled when the assembly resumes on Tuesday.

ODM initiated the ouster bid after Mr Obado was charged with graft.

Interestingly, Suna East MP and National Assembly Minority Whip Junet Mohammed, who travelled to Migori on Thursday evening and held a brief meeting with branch officials, did not attend the Saturday delegates crisis forum.

The ODM brigade meeting was meant to woo its MCAs ahead of this week’s highly anticipated tabling of the impeachment motion against the beleaguered Migori Governor.

For the fourth time last week, the county assembly of Migori adjourned its sittings on Thursday, thwarting the plan to kick out the governor.

 The Saturday meeting dubbed Migori County Convention saw Mr Mbadi and other attendees lash out at Governor Obado for milking the county coffers dry at a time when service delivery in the county was at its rock bottom.

Personal fight

Mr Mbadi told the Migori MCAs and delegates that Mr Obado's ouster had the blessings of ODM leader Raila Odinga and it was not a personal fight staged by any party member.

Mr Mbadi said the woes facing the embattled Migori Governor were not the party's choice but Mr Obado's own making, telling the Governor not to drag the party into his challenges.

"The issue at hand is not between Mbadi and Obado but about service delivery to the great people of Migori County," Mr Mbadi said.

Earlier in the day, a contingent of anti-riot police had been deployed to the venue of the meeting after ODM claimed there were goons hired to disrupt the event.

The party had written to the county commander earlier asking for security at Maranatha Faith Assembly Church where at least 600 delegates were invited for the meeting.

At some point supporters of Mr Ayacko who were manning the main entrance to the venue at Maranatha grounds engaged Governor Obado's supporters in a scuffle before police intervened and arrested three people.

Migori ODM Organising Secretary Joseph Nyambori accused Senator Ochillo Ayacko of planting his supporters at the main entrance to deter other delegates from attending the meeting.

Mr Nyambori claimed that despite receiving a formal invitation, he was turned away from the gathering.

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