Hundreds of Jubilee Party supporters in Tana River County took to the streets in Hola Town on Wednesday after the party failed to conduct its nomination exercise.
Waving placards, the demonstrators express their displeasure with the party’s decision to cancel the nominations slated for today allegedly without informing all the aspirants.
They were led by four aspirants for different seats who claimed they had been kept in the dark regarding the nomination exercise, amid rumours that their competitors had been given direct tickets to run under Jubilee Party.
The aspirants were Marianroon Mohamed (Women’s Representative), Omar Kofa Komora alias Manyota (Senator) and Chewani MCA aspirants Salama Guyato Balani and Athman Guruma.
The demonstrators gathered at Laza Primary School, which was expected to be one of the polling centre, before demonstrating through the streets of Hola Town, disrupting business for about two hours.
Anti-riot police officers kept vigil to forestall any confrontations between the four aspirants’ supporters and those of the ones believed to have been given direct tickets.
Mohamed demanded an official communication from the party headquarters regarding the apparent cancellation of the exercise in the county, failure to which she would lead her supporters in a mass walkout from the party.
“We were not forced to join JP and if we are not wanted, we have alternatives,” Mohamed said.
She claimed her competitor, Woman Representative Halima Ware had been given a direct ticket to vie for the position in the county without going through the primaries.
“I had campaigned very well and I hoped to trounce her, but if the rumours that she has been given a direct ticket are true, we will mobilize our supporters not to vote for the party,” she said.
On his part, Komora accused governor Hussein Dado of influencing the decision by the party headquarters. He was to run against Juma Wario, a close confidante of Governor Hussein Dado’s, who is alleged to have been given a direct ticket.