Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino has threatened to organise a parallel National Delegates Conference (NDC) in ODM after raising concerns about the party’s upcoming elections, which are expected to be held soon.
Speaking during an interview at a local station on Tuesday, January 20, Babu accused some party officials of attempting to manipulate the delegate lists to block young leaders from ascending to the party leadership.
Babu has claimed that top party officials have planned to ferry people from areas like the Rift Valley and the northeastern region, as well as other areas that favour them, in attempts to manipulate the decision at the conference.
He has now vowed to scrutinise the delegates’ list and ensure that only legitimate delegates attend the NDC. If his attempts fail, he said he will call for a different NDC that he says will elect him as the party leader.
“I have heard stories that when the NDC is called, there are plans to have delegates from the Rift Valley, North Eastern, and other favorable areas then. We will inspect the delegates’ list one by one to ensure that no one comes to the NDC who is not a delegate; otherwise, we will also call for a parallel NDC. If they call theirs, we will also call ours, which will elect us,” Babu stated.
“We demand that ODM call for NDC, and Babu should be given the party leader position unopposed,” he added, emphasising his intentions of becoming the party leader.
The MP stressed that young leaders in the party had legitimate ambitions and would not be sidelined. He accused top party officials of prioritising personal interests, which he said were selfish, over the party’s broad goals, criticising them for attempts to auction the party.
Babu defended his calls to become the ODM leader, downplaying claims that he initiated them after Raila Odinga’s demise. Babu noted that even before the demise of Raila Odinga, he had already announced his intentions of clinging to the party’s top position.
“I revealed my intentions of becoming the ODM leader even when Raila was still alive. Remember, we used to say, baada ya Baba ni Babu (after Raila is Babu),” he said, referencing his long-standing ambition within the party.
Babu insisted that he respected senior leaders within the party, including its current leader, Oburu Odinga, but also insisted that the young had a right to reclaim party positions, warning the old guards against looking down on young, ambitious people. He maintained his loyalty to the party and its principles, as well as the legacy of its founder, Raila Odinga.
According to him, the spirit of Raila Odinga lived in him and in other like-minded individuals, including Winnie Odinga and the party’s secretary general, Edwin Sifuna, who has recently faced hostility within the party.
“Our elders must understand that the young ones also have ambitions. Should I reach 70, 80, or 90 years before becoming a party leader? It should not be like that. The spirit of Raila Odinga lives in Babu Owino and other like-minded leaders, like Winnie Odinga and Sifuna,” he added.
He expressed his frustration with an alleged marginalisation of Raila’s family, referencing Winnie Odinga’s recent complaints. He said threatening the family over party leadership decisions was disrespectful to the late Raila’s legacy.
