Political analysts and insiders in the National Super Alliance (NASA) have now hypothesised that chances are high that Amani National Congress party leader Musalia Mudavadi will become the Opposition's presidential flag bearer.
According to political analyst Angela Ambitho, the ANC party leader has a good chance owing to his political experience and the perception that he is a safe pair of hands.
“The very fact that Nasa is his brain child means he starts off on the negotiation table ahead of the pack. But it is more than that. By eating humble pie after falling out with his opposition colleagues in the last poll, Mudavadi has demonstrated leadership and maturity,” Ambitho, who is also the CEO of Infotrack, observed.
She added that among all the Opposition candidates, Mudavadi has not shown aggression in getting the ticket which can be a sign of a suitable compromise candidate.
“He has projected himself as a member of the team willing to play the compromise role. And we have not seen him, like other aspirants, angling hard to be given the ticket or publicly asking others to step aside for him," Ambitho noted.
Former Minister Kipruto arap Kirwa, who is in NASA, adds that the former Deputy Prime Minister is not a polarising figure and has the goodwill from all sides of the political divide.
“Unlike some of the presidential aspirants, Mudavadi does not scare away some of the extreme elements within the rival camps,” Kirwa argues.
These hypotheses are, in some ways supported by NASA co-principal Kalonzo Musyoka who had a glowing take on Mudavadi's entry to their team.
“We have worked hard all this while and have been progressing just fine. But we appreciate the arrival of our brother Mudavadi, whom we realise has actually been the missing link in our efforts. We now feel energised," Musyoka stated at a past event.
