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“We Won’t Grow Party to Be Somebody’s Deputy” – Oburu on ODM’s Presidential Ambitions

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has reaffirmed its commitment to fielding a presidential candidate in upcoming elections, while remaining open to strategic coalition arrangements.

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Speaking on the party’s electoral strategy, ODM senior member Oburu Odinga emphasized that the party was founded to win executive power, not to play a supporting role.

“ODM might have a candidate who’ll compete for the country’s leadership, but it’ll depend on how the situation will be during the election period. We’ll just have a candidate for the presidency, that’s what we want,” Oburu stated.

He dismissed any notion of the party settling for secondary positions, stating: “You know you can’t start a party with the aim of being a deputy. A party is something you founded with the aim of taking the government.”

While asserting ODM’s presidential ambitions, Oburu acknowledged the party remains open to working with other political organizations through negotiations.

“In our party, we have the confidence of going to contest for a win, or we’ll work with other parties that we’ll agree with,” he said, describing future coalition talks as a “hard bargain” where parties would need to reach mutual agreements.

The statement positions ODM as a major political player preserving its negotiating leverage ahead of future electoral contests.