Kenya's Raila Odinga withdraws from repeat presidential race, calls for fresh election

macfranc007 October 10, 2017 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Nigerian newspapers 24/7 Nnenna Ibeh

- NASA's Raila Odinga has formally withdrawn from the presidential election, NAIJ.com has learnt

- Raila explained that his withdrawal from the race is the only way that Kenya can have a credible election

- He said his withdrawal means the IEBC is expected to conduct fresh nominations with the election of October 26 getting cancelled

- The opposition has been demanding that the IEBC implements the irreducible mimumums if the election will be free and fair

NASA leader Raila Odinga has formally withdrawn from the fresh presidential election set for later this month.

By doing so, Odinga said the IEBC should now cancel the repeat election and conduct fresh nominations.

He said on Tuesday, October 10 that his decision was of the conviction that their withdrawal is in the best interest of the country and a win-win for everyone.

Raila Odinga withdraws from repeat presidential race, calls for fresh election

Raila Odinga addressing his supporters in Vihiga County. Photo: NASA

Odinga accused the IEBC of acting in bad faith for calling for the October 26 election without addressing the Opposition's irreducible minimums it had presented.

"For over five weeks, the commission has engaged us in a ping pong game well knowing they had no intention to streamline the electoral system to accord with the constitution and electoral laws.

"It is now clear that the same criminal enterprise that perpetuated the fraud in the August election is firmly in charge of the Commission and setting up even more lethal mechanisms to defraud the Kenyan voter," he said.

Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka during a past rally in Nairobi. Photo: NASA

On Jubilee Party, Odinga said it had embarked on ill-conceived amendments to election laws that are not only unconstitutional but go against international best practice that in the middle of an elections contest.

President Uhuru Kenyatta is on record having said that he will not hesitate in signing into law the new changes being pushed in Parliament.

Odinga and his running mate Kalonzo Musyoka said accused the IEBC and Jubilee of working together to commit the illegalities and irregularities that were found to have been committed in the August 8 election.

"It is now evident that jubilee is firmly in charge of IEBC through four commissioners who have set out to implement the jubilee agenda within the commission," said Odinga.