The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Party has conceded defeat in the Msambweni parliamentary by-election.
Feisal Bader, considered an ally of Deputy President William Ruto, triumphed in the elections after beating ODM’s Omar Boga by 15,251 to 10,444 votes.
ODM’s Secretary General Edwin Sifuna was the first person to raise the white flag, conceeding the opposition party had ‘come short’ in the consticuency.
“Congratulations to all winners in yesterday’s by-elections especially the ODM party candidates in Kisumu North and Dabaso Wards. We came up short in Msambweni and Wundanyi /Mbale but we regroup and forge ahead. Thanks to all our teams everywhere for the great effort,” he wrote on Twitter.
His sentiments were echoed by ODM’s Director of Communications Philip Etale who congratulated the winning candidate in Msambweni.
“Congratulation Feisal. Tomorrow is another day,” Etale wrote.
Concessions come as a welcome surprise to residents as the opposition party have in the past refused to concede defeat in elections.
The cases in point include in 2013 when its presidential candidate Raila Odinga rejected the results and moved to the Supreme Court, but lost the case.
Odinga again rejected the results of the 2017 elections and this time managed to successfully challenge them in court.
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