Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) legislator Sam Atandi has stirred a storm within the party after declaring that ODM will not field a presidential candidate in the 2027 elections, insisting that the outfit lacks a prepared successor to the late Raila Odinga.
Speaking during a weekend event, Atandi claimed that no current leader within ODM possesses the capacity or national appeal to challenge President William Ruto. He accused unnamed party figures of engaging in premature posturing, dismissing them as “tiny small leaders” who lack political weight.
“I want to challenge those leaders, because from where I sit, there is nobody in ODM who can run for president as of now. Raila Odinga did not prepare anyone to run for president,” Atandi said. “If you think you can defeat President Ruto, then come out and prove it.”
The Alego Usonga MP went on to defend Ruto’s government, saying the president had shown goodwill towards political parties through increased budgetary allocations. He hinted that ODM could work closely with the government, arguing that former ODM members in Ruto’s administration could help “rejuvenate” the party.
Atandi’s remarks came in sharp contrast to statements by ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, who has openly opposed any plan to align the party with Ruto’s re-election bid. Sifuna maintains that Raila Odinga, before his death, had made it clear that ODM would reassess its relationship with the government ahead of 2027 and most likely field its own candidate. His sentiments echoed by younger ODM leaders, who have said the President doesnot deserve another term.
The conflicting positions have laid bare the deepening ideological rift within ODM, once the country’s dominant opposition party. While a faction appears open to collaboration with Ruto, another insists that such a move would betray Odinga’s political legacy.
As internal divisions widen, ODM faces a defining moment that will determine whether it reclaims its opposition mantle or drifts further into government orbit.
