Usinisahau! Nuru Okanga makes Raila wish ahead of AU role
Nuru Okanga, the controversial Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party avid supporter, has asked Mr Raila Odinga to consider offering him a role in his office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in the event he wins the African Union (AU) Chairmanship, a position he is eyeing.
Mr Odinga, the ODM leader has since been endorsed by his party, Azimio la Umoja – One Kenya Alliance (which he also heads), and a section of the Kenya Kwanza Government, including President William Ruto, is vying for the AU top position.
According to Okanga, if Raila Odinga succeeds, he should not forget to assist him, as he has been one of his ardent supporters.
“Baba (Odinga’s nickname), in case you succeed in the AU position, please consider taking me to Addis Ababa,” he said on Monday evening, February 20, 2024, during a Facebook live conversation with his followers.
Okanga, an enthusiast of the ODM party who has always been at loggerheads with the Dr Ruto-led administration, assured Mr Odinga that he would continue supporting him in his new endeavors.
However, in what appeared as political rhetoric, the opposition fan stated that when the former Prime Minister started working, he (Okanga) would enjoy the benefits associated with the AU seat.
Additionally, he expressed confidence that Odinga would use his influence to advance Kenya and Africa at large.
“When you assume the position, the first thing you should do is fight against the culture of vote rigging in Kenya,” he advised, claiming that Mr Odinga has been a victim of voter rigging in the years he has vied for the presidency.
He revisited the 2022 general elections, alleging that if not for the lack of transparency in the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), Raila Odinga would have been the fifth President of the Republic of Kenya.
Mr Odinga (Azimio) battled out with the current President, Dr William Ruto, who ran under the Kenya Kwanza ticket.
Odinga contested the results at the Supreme Court, though his case was thrown out due to what the court stated as a lack of evidence to invalidate Ruto’s win.
Even as President Ruto endorses Raila Odinga to clinch the AU chairmanship, Okanga said that the opposition leader does not need anyone’s support, as he has a good leadership track record and has support from Africa and the world to pursue the position.
“It seems Ruto fears Raila; he wants him to succeed at the AU so that he quits being actively involved in politics. Raila Odinga has been questioning Kenya Kwanza Government’s integrity and performance. You guys do not know him; he can serve at the AU for two years, resign, and then come back to vie for the presidency in 2027,” he explained.
Moussa Faki Mahamat is the current AU Commission’s Chairperson.
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