Africa-Press – Kenya. Former Nyali MP Hezron Awiti has disputed reports that he has stepped down from the Mombasa gubernatorial race in favour of ODM candidate Abdulswamad Nassir.
Addressing the media at Mamba Village in Nyali Saturday evening, the Vibrant Democratic Party (VDP) leader asked his supporters to ignore the reports and treat them as propaganda.
“I was in Kisauni meeting my coordinators when I received news that people had camped at Mamba village demanding to see me so that I could explain why I had stepped down. I want to categorically state that I have not stepped down for anyone. I am strongly in the race to be the next Mombasa governor,” he said.
Awiti alleged that the news came from Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka who held a closed-door meeting with community elders Saturday afternoon at the Wild Waters Complex, meters away from Mamba Village.
He said that no leader had convened a meeting with the VDP party officials to ask him to give way to Nassir.
He however said that ODM leader Raila Odinga called him last Wednesday and tried to convince him to step down for Nassir.
Raila was in Mombasa accompanied by his running mate Narc Kenya party leader Martha Karua to drum up support for Nassir.
“Raila is my good friend, he invited me over during his meeting with the Mombasa Luo community. He told me the race was tight and asked me to step down and help Nassir,” Awiti said.
“I respectfully declined and told him my support to him was only at the presidential level, not the governor. Furthermore, it was already too late.”
Awiti reiterated that he will be on the ballot on Monday saying that, unlike his opponents, he had not called for any reinforcement from Nairobi.
He said that his reinforcement was the wananchi he has been talking to to help him with their votes on Monday.
“I am ready to face any governor candidate on the ballot, I am strong and I am going for a win, nothing less,” Awiti said.
He also alleged that there was a plot by his opponents to hire goons to disrupt the Monday election.
Awiti claimed there were plans to dress the goons in police uniforms to help them access polling stations and throw out agents so that they can staff ballot boxes in favour of one of his opponents.
He called on the police to investigate the matter and stop it from happening.
“I want to say that whoever will try to do such and the police fail to take action, then they will meet with the people. If they succeed in carrying out the plan using police uniforms, then the police commander in the county will be responsible for whatever will happen because people will not accept that,” said Awiti.
He said that the role of security agencies was to protect Kenyans and safeguard the country without favouring any individual or group.
For More News And Analysis About Kenya Follow Africa-Press
