Lawyer James Orengo [Photo: Judiciary]
Senior Counsel James Orengo representing Azimio presidential candidate Raila Odinga in the petition filed against President-Elect William Ruto, has called on the Supreme Court to nullify the recently announced presidential results.
Addressing the seven-judge bench which is hearing and determining the petition, Orengo noted that the results were not valid saying the election was rigged in favour of Ruto.
He further said, that the Deputy President did not attain the 50 percent plus one vote required for a candidate to be declared a presidential winner.
“Unlike many elections, in this particular election there was deceit, there was manipulation and all this was premeditated and made possible by the attack on the IT structure and system of the electoral commission. We urge you to nullify the election,” he said.
He also pointed out that the number of voters and the votes cast were conflicting, thus raising questions on the credibility of the presidential results.
“The IEBC chairman in his announcement of results and announcement of turn out is at variance and therefore his calculation of the results can’t be correct. The number of voters who took part in the election and the number of votes cast keeps shifting. The figures do not agree,” said Orengo.
He then addressed the division among IEBC officials, saying it is a clear indication that the commission was incapable of carrying out a credible election.
This is after four commissioners; Vice Chair Juliana Cherera, Francis Wanderi, Irene Masit and Justus Nyang’aya distanced themselves from the presidential results that declared DP Ruto as the President-Elect.
“My lords, you’d realize that as we appear before you today, we have something that has never happened in this country – a commission that is divided right in the middle. We are talking about a dysfunctional constitutional body that cannot be able to preside over an election that would give it the stamp of legality and legitimacy as spelt out in the constitution.”
A newsmaker, reporter and anchor at Pearl Radio, Ndalilah Sharon is witty and savvy.
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