Migori Governor Okoth Obado has announced that his People’s Democratic Party (PDP) will field candidates in all elective posts, including the presidency, in next year’s elections.
At the same time warned his rivals against writing him off saying they will be doing so at their own peril.
“I wish to refute claims that PDP will not field its presidential candidate in the race to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta,” he said.
He said he had rebranded PDP and that the party is ready to face off with other outfits, including ODM he noted has dominated Nyanza for many years.
Obado, who spoke when he opened PDP offices in Changamwe Constituency, Mombasa County, told his rivals to stop referring to his party as a branch of other political parties.
Obado, who has been considered a key ally of Deputy President William Ruto in Nyanza, argued that his party is not dependent on other political formations for anything, including funding.
He told PDP members to ignore what he termed cheap propaganda by his rivals that the party has been swallowed. He cautioned his rivals to respect the party, which he said was one of the oldest parties, noting that he won his first term as governor on its ticket and was determined to revive it.
“PDP was formed in 2005, and in 2013, I was elected the first governor on its ticket. I used PDP to trounce the ODM candidate who had boasted that Migori was a stronghold of the Orange party,” he said.
He insisted the party was capable of delivering many seats in next year’s polls.
He said his party was in the process of rebranding and changing its symbol, adding that they have filed the changes with the registrar of political parties.
He said the party would respect the electorate’s decision in line with its slogan.
“We want the electorate’s democratic rights to be respected, and the party stands against violence,” he said.
The Standard