Deputy President William Ruto, on Wednesday, orchestrated a landslide victory for the Jubilee party in the upcoming Wajir West by-election by convincing two other candidates to step down in favour of the party's candidate.
The withdrawals come after the ODM candidate, Prof Mohamed Yusuf Elmi, agreed to step down in favour of Jubilee Party counterpart Ahmed Kolosh on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, two other candidates, Ali Noor Abdi of Labour Party of Kenya and Abass Nunow Shihaw of Agano Party followed suit and agreed to step down in favour of the Jubilee party candidate. They did this after meeting the Deputy President.
In a statement, Ruto divulged, "We laud the public-spirited acts of Ali Noor Abdi and Abass Nunow to end their interest in the imminent Wajir West by-election. The decision will promote cohesion, harmony, unity of purpose and reflects the will of the people."
Earlier on Wednesday, Jubilee party Secretary General Raphael Tuju stated that the decision of the ODM candidate to withdraw had been reached following high-level consultations between the leadership of both parties.
However, Wajir leaders led by governor Mohamed Abdi Muhamud Abdi held that the Yusuf Elmi's decision to step down was wholly on Ruto's accord.
Wajir leaders in a statement rubbished claims for ODM to take credit for the withdrawal stating, "After thorough negotiations, one candidate Prof Mohamed Yusuf Elmi, who was vying in ODM party agreed to step down in favour of Jubilee Party candidate on Tuesday 9, 2019.
"This was done in consultation with DP William Ruto. The decision had nothing to do with the ODM party or any of its functionaries, as some would allege," the statement read.
They further stated that the leaders from the region did not condone deceit or conmanship.
"The efforts of the community cannot be taken for granted or rubbished by those who do not know the hours, energy and resources put in this," the Wajir leaders explained.
