'Sifuna, Babu Owino can attend the ODM NDC,' Gladys Wanga says

Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV, Wanga explained that the two leaders hold leadership positions that permit them to attend the special NDC as party delegates, according to the ODM Constitution. 

The ODM chairperson also shrugged off a parallel NDC to be held by the Linda Mwananchi faction, citing that only one convention was called for according to the party's Constitution. 

“Sifuna and Babu are members of the NDC. Sifuna, by virtue of being a Senator of Nairobi, is a delegate at that NDC. Babu, by virtue of being a member of NEC and also MP for Embakasi, is a delegate at that NDC. They are not necessarily going to storm; they can attend the NDC, and we hope they will attend the NDC,” Wanga stated.

Wanga maintained that despite isolated dissent, the majority of the party remains united and focused on rebuilding.

“We lost a leader and there was bound to be some shakiness but we pulled in quickly, got a new party leader whom we will be ratifying on Friday, and we have consolidated our leaders. The majority of the party is solid. When a few people are dissenting, it doesn’t count for the party splitting,” she said.

She also outlined the structure and agenda of the upcoming convention, noting that attendance will be capped in line with the party constitution.

“On Friday, delegates are going to convene. The constitution requires that we have a maximum of 3,000 delegates. I know many people have been asking to come to the NDC, but our constitution limits the number of those who attend the NDC to 3,000," Wanga explained. 

"We have an agenda, the first being the ratification of resolutions of the national governing council, which we held last year in Mombasa. The second is giving our party leader a mandate to begin negotiations for pre-election coalitions."

ODM Deputy Party Leader Abdulswamad Nassir echoed her sentiments, warning against efforts to destabilize the party while expressing confidence in its resilience.

“We know that there are people out there who wish for us to be weakened; we know there are people out there who are going out of their way to try and burn this house down. At the end of the day, you do not burn a house that is made of ice by using extra ice. We have survived everything else. What else is there?” he posed.

Nassir further pointed out that internal disagreements are not new within ODM, even during the tenure of its former leader.

“Even when Baba was alive, there are a lot of people who also fell out for various reasons. It doesn’t mean that the party fell. ODM 20 years plus, is still strong despite not holding the top office because we have structures that need to be respected,” he stated.

The remarks come amid heightened political activity within ODM as the party prepares for its NDC on Friday, a key organ expected to shape its leadership and coalition strategy ahead of the 2027 General Election.