Ruto and Obado presidency? Why this is a match made in heaven

Only two politicians have fought ODM and lived to tell the tale. One of them is William Ruto and the other one is Okoth Obado.

I know this is hard to comprehend, but ODM is a very huge political party and leaving it is like committing political suicide in some regions. Just as one Ababu Namwamba, the man could now be a front runner for Busia governor in 2022, but now he can’t even be a village elder in the region.

That’s ODM for you. It can build or kill you. But William Ruto fell out with Raila’s party in 2022 and later became Deputy President, beating Raila in 2013 and 2017.

The DP left ODM with an ICC case hanging on his neck and threatening his political future. He is the first time to have taken on the former Prime Minister and emerged victorious.

Obado’s story is even more spectacular. Obado was elected the first governor of Migori against all odds, after defecting from the most powerful party in the region, ODM.

Contesting on a small known People’s Democratic Party (PDP), he went on to trounce ODM’s candidate Oyugi Akong’o, even after the High Court ordered a recount. Obado soldiered on against an onslaught from ODM ward representatives and party officials who tried to impeach him at every available opportunity.
Just before last year’s elections, Obado returned to ODM and was received by party leader Raila Odinga at a public rally, only to walk into a storm as local party leaders questioned his loyalty.

Despite the shaky relationship with ODM leadership, a determined Obado went ahead to win the chaotic party primaries, forcing Ochillo Ayacko to decamp and contest against him as an independent candidate.

Ayacko lost to Obado in the main election, filed a petition in High Court and lost that too. He went to the Court of Appeal, which threw out the case.

Over the weekend, we saw Obado accompany Ruto to various functions in Nyanza and a marathon in Nyeri. There have even been talks of the two forging an alliance ahead of 2022.

Of course the Migori governor has to clear his name before 2022, but working with Ruto should give him a little hope and tricks too. After all, the DP has fought his own wars and won.

The question is, Can Obado be Ruto’s running mate in 2022?

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