Gladys Wanga Dismisses Sifuna Linked Parallel ODM NDC, Terms It Plot to Mislead Members

Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party chairperson Gladys Wanga has dismissed plans by the Linda Mwananchi faction to call a parallel National Delegates Conference scheduled for March 27, terming the move a plot to mislead party members and create unnecessary confusion.

In a press brief at Chungwa House on Thursday, March 19, Wanga maintained that only the National Executive Committee (NEC) has the authority to convene such a conference.

She also challenged the Edwin Sifuna-led faction to clearly state which NEC committee called for the said parallel NDC.

“There was a call the whole of last year to hold an NDC, and the NEC sat and agreed to call one. Therefore, for anyone to claim they are organising an NDC, they must tell us which NEC met and made that decision,” Wanga stated.

“This is a plot to create confusion, to create sideshows and mislead our members,” she added.

The Homabay County governor emphasised that the legitimate NDC had been convened in accordance with the party constitution, including issuance of the mandatory 21-day notice and clear indication of eligible delegates.

Her comments came after the Linda Mwananchi faction threatened to hold a parallel NDC meeting following the party’s NDC scheduled for March 27 at Jamhuri grounds in Nairobi.

Following the announcement by party officials, embattled Nairobi senator Edwin Sifuna stated he would not attend the NDC, noting he was not invited.

Wanga, however, clarified that attendance at the NDC is not by invitation but by virtue of position within the party structures.

In this sense, Sifuna, as an ODM senator, automatically qualifies as a delegate by being a member of the parliamentary group.

“NDC is not for people to be invited. It is for a notice to be issued by the party, and those to attend are clearly outlined in the constitution,” she added.

In response to claims by the Linda Mwananchi faction that they had delegates drawn from 35 counties, Wanga insisted that ODM operates across all 47 counties and that legitimate delegates are well-defined.

Her remarks come amid heightened internal tensions within ODM, as wrangles intensify ahead of the official NDC expected to shape the party’s leadership direction ahead of the 2027 general election.