Mombasa gubernatorial candidate Abdulswamad Nassir vows to go to court over IEBC suspension of mini polls

Abdulswamad Nassir, a candidate for governor of Mombasa on an ODM ticket, has revealed that he will go to court to request instructions for the procedure to proceed as initially stated by the electoral body.

Nassir said he would go to court owing to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC)’s indefinite postponement of elections in 11 elective seats, including two gubernatorial seats in Kakamega and Mombasa, four constituency seats, and two wards.

The IEBC chairperson, Chebukati, claims that numerous political groups and individuals have been intimidating and harassing the Commission’s employees who had been stationed at the national tallying centres.

“This has instilled fear within the staff who are now unable to report to the office today. This harassment must stop forthwith,” demanded Chebukati.

In a press conference on Wednesday, August 17, the Azimio’s front-runner for the Mombasa governorship said he was going to court to demand that the polls take place on Tuesday, August 23, as earlier scheduled.

In an effort to force the IEBC to hold the Mombasa gubernatorial election on Tuesday, August 23 2022, Nassir has vowed to contest the IEBC’s decision to suspend elections for the seat in the county. He has accused IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati of acting unilaterally.

“We are going to court to ensure the people of Mombasa are not denied their constitutional right to have a representation,” Nassir said.

Asserting that the postponement of the gubernatorial election in the coastal county was a deliberate attempt to rig the election, he has further accused the Commission, through its chairperson Wafula Chebukati, of making autonomous decisions that have an impact on service delivery to the people of Mombasa and other affected areas.

“The Election Act that IEBC follows, is very clear that such decision needs to be done in a situation where they have the quorum, this was not done by anybody else but by Chebukati. We know what their plans are. They are trying to find ways they are going to manipulate elections in Mombasa,” he claimed.