Wiper party asked Coalition for Reforms and Democracy co-principals to back its leader Kalonzo Musyoka for president in the 2017 General Election.
The party, which held its first summit on Wednesday and the national executive council on Thursday, said Mr Musyoka should be supported by Mr Raila Odinga and Mr Moses Wetang’ula to run for the top position.
This comes less than a week after a series of high octane campaigns by Mr Odinga and Mr Wetang’ula.
Mr Odinga’s ODM took a four-day, 31-rally tour of Mr Wetang’ula’s Ford Kenya western Kenya turf. However, Mr Wetang’ula, who is also the Bungoma senator, quipped that the “crowds may not translate into votes”.
Mr Wetang’ula further said the Luhya people Mr Odinga had gone to address in Kakamega, Busia and Vihiga were asking why the ODM leader went on tour without him.
Wiper secretary-general Hassan Oma said the party had endorsed Mr Musyoka at its first summit.
“The summit reiterated that we are for Kalonzo Musyoka as the presidential flag bearer not only for the party. We hope the coalition will nominate him,” Mr Omar said
At the summit, attended by top leaders in the party, the outfit said Mr Musyoka is the best bet to beat President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2017.
“At the meeting, it was resolved that the role of resource mobilisation must be activated fully to enable the party’s presidential candidate to mount a formidable campaign for the 2017 elections,” the party said in a statement after the summit.
Mr Odinga’s charm offensive in Mr Wetang’ula’s stronghold brought to the fore the extent to which the leaders were willing to go to clinch the Cord ticket to challenge Mr Kenyatta in the polls.
Although the three have shown respect for each other, and claimed they would support the other if they lose, the new developments have sent shockwaves across the political scene.
However, University of Nairobi political analyst Adams Oloo said the current push-and-pull in Cord is a sign of democracy.
Mr Wetang’ula on Tuesday announced a series of rallies of his own, in the Coast, eastern Kenya, northeastern Kenya and Central Kenya to be conducted in August.
The Bungoma senator would then return to Nairobi, before heading to Nyanza and western Kenya in September.
The coalition was formed prior to the 2013 polls, with Mr Musyoka as Mr Odinga’s running-mate, with Mr Wetang’ula being the Minority Leader in the Senate.
Meanwhile, Wiper on Thursday replaced Mr Joe Mutambu, the party’s secretary for resource mobilisation, with Garissa Woman Representative Shukran Hussein Gure.
Mr Mutambu, who is also the Mwingi Central MP, was in February stripped of his committee membership by the Wiper, when Cord led a crackdown on leaders considered disloyal to the coalition.
