Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho has seemingly defied an ultimatum issued to him by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
Joho dismissed IEBC's order that he ensures his competitors are allocated space to erect their billboards terming the directive "illegal".
On Thursday, the body through the Mombasa Returning Officer, ordered Joho to solve the row involving billboards for gubernatorial aspirants by Friday 9 am.
The Commission warned that if Joho failed to adhere to the directive, he would be held liable for contravening the Electoral Code of Conduct.
However, in a letter addressed to the IEBC, the Governor stated that it was not his mandate to control the erection of billboards, a matter which had been reported to the Commission by some of the aspirants.
He blasted the electoral body for issuing the ultimatum which he said was impractical to implement since he was not in charge of leasing out advertising space.
“Your directive is not only illegal but raises serious questions about your objectivity and impartiality. From your directive, it's clear that you have already made a conclusion even without hearing what the other parties have to say and this is an indictment on your impartiality," he stated.
Candidates seeking to oust Joho including Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar, Jubilee's Suleiman Shahbal and Nyali MP Hezron Awiti had complained of being denied permission to put up their billboards.
Read Also: IEBC Orders Hassan Joho to Allow Mombasa Gubernatorial Aspirants Erect Billboards
