In a scathing opinion article published in the Standard Newspaper, Denis Kodhe, the original owner of the Liberal Democratic Party, the precursor to ODM, has tore into the candidature and politics of ODM’s “Team Fresh”, the group of ODM party apirants coalescing around  Budalangi MP Ababu Namwamba, Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho and Turkana Governor Josephat Nanok as ‘not matured enough’ and lack capacity to manage ODM, a national political outfit.
Akodhe accuses team Ababu of chest thumping and militancy, which he rues will destroy ODM.
“Chest thumping and a militant stye of leadership will not only ruin the credibility of the party, but will also destroy it”.
The man whom former president Kibaki allies promised heaven to de-register ODM gave a startling revelation on how his party was rendered moribund immediately NARC won the 2002 elections. It is with this hindsight, probably, that he cautions ODM not to trust the party leadership with the Ababu team.
“As much as former Prime Minister Raila Odinga will remain the Party Leader, other structures such as Secretary General, Chairman, Deputy, party leader, Organising Secretary and Treasurer are also very important components for the strengthening of the party. It appears that the youthful group of Ababu Namwamba, Ali Hassan Joho and others seeking top leadership of the party have not “matured” enough and to some extent have no capacity to manage ODM, a national political outfit”.
He adds, “Although there is an urgent need to bring change in ODM and a new way of doing things to make the party more competitive, members must be careful who they choose to take up the party leadership mantle”.