ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna has rubbished resignation calls after the former Presidential aspirant Ekuru Aukot’s Punguza Mzigo referendum bid managed to garner over 1 million signatures.
In a viral video while in an interview, Sifuna had vowed to resign in case Ekuru Aukot’s led Punguza Mzigo initiative garnered the required 1 million signatures for referendum push.
“I know what it takes to raise 1 million signatures. Third way Alliance in this country is a nuisance, they are here for nuisance value. I can guarantee you and I can bet here in front of this country that if Thirdway Alliance is able to get a million signatures, I will resign as Secretary-General of ODM. I know for a fact they cannot do it,” he said.
To Sifunas’ surprise, the initiative met the requirements of Article 257 of the constitution which states that an amendment to the Constitution may be proposed by a popular initiative signed by at least one million registered voters.
The online petition demanding Sifuna’s resignation has gained steam, after reports by the IEBC confirmed that the popular initiative by Third Way Alliance leader Ekuru Aukot had been supported by 1,222,541 registered voters.Tokeo la picha la iebc chebukati
“This is therefore to notify the public and all the stakeholders that the initiative had met the requisite threshold as required by the said Article 257 (4) of the Constitution,” said IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati.
The initiative is expected to receive a major boost from the senators as one of the proposals seeks to elevate the Senate to be an upper House with veto powers to check the National Assembly.
On the other hand, the Bill has proposed goodies to the devolved units that are overseen by the MCAs and senators, including retention of the 1,450 wards, which it recognises as the primary units of accelerated development.
Several thousand people have taken to the social media calling for the resignation of ODM’s secretary-general, Edwin Sifuna, who is enmeshed in his own words when he claimed that he would resign if third-way alliance party gathered one million votes in support of the ‘punguza mzigo’ initiative.
Sifuna had in a televised morning show claimed that it was impossible for the third way alliance to collect a million votes and further predicted its failure by comparing it to the Okoa Kenya by the ODM which failed terribly.
In response, Sifuna sarcastically dismissed the calls arguing that he wasn’t the one speaking nor does he know KBC and he better die.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) on Thursday verified that Ekuru Aukot’s ‘Punguza Mzigo’ Initiative pushing for a constitutional amendment indeed met the required threshold of at least one million signatures.
The commission stated that the initiative – sponsored by Aukot’s Thirdway Alliance Kenya Party – was supported by a total of 1,222,541 registered voters.
IEBC further stated that the Aukot-led party delivered to the commission a draft Constitutional Amendment Bill and details of supporters of the draft Bill both in soft and hard copy on February 28, 2019
Source: kenyagist.COM