IEBC Chairperson Wafula Chebukati has urged the Supreme Court to dismiss a petition filed by Azimio presidential candidate Raila Odinga challenging the results of the August 9th presidential election.
Through his lawyer Githu Muigai, Chebukati submitted that Odinga was on a witch-hunt mission, stating that his petition is full of “generalities, innuendos, and hypothecations.”
“This election was conducted as most International observers observed. It was the fairest. All observers concluded that it was an open, transparent election,” Muigai noted.
While making his submissions before the seven-judge bench on Thursday, the lawyer said Odinga has formed a pattern where he resorted to blaming the electoral commission after losing an election.
“There’s something very wrong with the way the people participate in the electoral process. Accept winning or losing; that’s the problem,” Muigai said.
He cited past elections where Odinga has targeted the Chairpersons of IEBC after losing, adding that he has never allowed them to leave office in peace.
Muigai further told the court that Odinga has leveled allegations against Chebukati without producing any shred of evidence and focused on being “speculative and vindictive.”
“The vilification against this gentleman goes beyond anything we have ever had in this Courthouse. It was personalized. It was vindictive. It intended to lower his standing in our community and the legal profession. It was unwarranted,” Muigai said.
He described Chebukati as a “hero” whose input in Kenya’s elections will forever be remembered, adding that he is an outstanding man whose only wrong was doing the right thing.
“At an appropriate time when all this is over, I entertain no doubt that an independent group of people looking at the work that Chebukati has done for our nation will recognize him as one of our outstanding heroes in the history of our nation,” said Muigai, a former Attorney-General.
Muigai further submitted that the four IEBC commissioners who disowned the presidential results were mischievous and questioned their last-minute decision to break away from the Commission.
“We have an election conducted up to the 11th and a half hour, and everybody is on board. Everybody is on board. The public can see them declaring the results. What is this that happens within the half hour? Muigai posed.
He pleaded with the judged to disregard Odinga’s petition in totality and uphold the people’s will, insisting that “numbers do not lie.”
A prophet of Doom; a…
A prophet of Doom; a worshipper of Mammon.