Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga has asked aspiring leaders within the party to stop dividing the party on tribal lines.
This, the opposition supremo said, is in response to the ongoing jostling at the top leadership of the party on who should succeed Mr Odinga in the event that he bags the much coveted African Union Chairmanship (AUC) job.
In the the past few weeks, ODM party has had tussles at the top echelons of the party with former Mombasa governor Ali Hassan Joho and his former Kakamega governor counterpart Wycliffe Oparanya both angling to take over party leadership from the former Prime Minister.
However, much as Mr Odinga has no qualms with the two leaders aspirations, the fact that they’re going the tribal way to ask for the top post has rubbed Mr Odinga the wrong way. He likened them to men who want to inherit a woman whose husband is still alive.
“I have only said that I have to be the African Union Commission chairperson. I have not gotten the job, I’m still here,” Raila said.
“Addis Ababa is not far from here and even if Baba is not here, we will sit down as ODM and agree on the way forward.”
He discouraged leaders from saying who they wanted to take over the leadership of the party should he go to the AUC because they come from a certain region.
“You are a member of ODM and if the party decides to hold elections it will be as ODM. If you bring the thought of dividing the party on regional grounds the party will be weak,” he said.
“I want ODM to remain as it is. The strongest and most organised political party in East and Central Africa region.”
