Mombasa ODM party gubernatorial candidate Abdulswamad Nassir has moved to court to compel the electoral body IEBC to hold the governor elections on Tuesday as earlier announced.
The ODM candidate further claimed that the IEBC Chairman contravened the Elections Act and that they will move to court to challenge the decision and have the polls conducted on August 23.
“The Constitution is clear; it states that the county governor shall be elected on the second Tuesday of August after every five years,” said Mr Nassir (ODM).
“The law further notes that there are only three reasons that can lead to an election to be postponed. When there is a serious breach of security, an actual national calamity or a breach on how the General Election was conducted.”
He said the decision will have severe ramifications, including delaying critical services that voters expect from the county government.
“Postponing the elections in Mombasa is a total abuse of office, such decisions cannot be made by an individual they have to be made by the commission,” Nassir stated.
IEBC chair Wafula Chebukati on Wednesday evening postponed the gubernatorial elections for Mombasa and Kakamega indefinitely citing frustrations and intimidations of his officials.
The elections were to take place on August 23 after they were cancelled on August 9 due to technicalities.
In a statement, IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati attributes the move to intimidation of IEBC staff. Chebukati has also postponed the elections of Member of National Assembly for Kitui Rural Constituency in Kitui County, Kacheliba Constituency and Pokot South Constituency in West Pokot County as well as Rongai Constituency in Nakuru County.
Also postponed are elections of Member of County Assembly Ward in Nyaki West in North Imenti Constituency of Meru County and Kwa Njenga in Embakasi South Constituency in Nairobi County.
