After months of sitting on the fence, Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho has thrown his weight behind Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir to succeed him.
Mr Joho, who has said he will not contest any seat in the 2022 elections, on Saturday said Mr Nassir, one his closest allies, “already” has his blessings.
“Abdulswamad wants to be the governor my friend… the journey has begun. It is right here and we have given our direction, haven’t we? It’s now up to you to follow it up,” Mr Joho said as he led the lighting up of the Governor’s Christmas Tree at Treasury Square.
“I will come back here to support some of my brothers so that we can take this thing forward.”
Mr Joho’s decision to break his silence comes weeks after his party, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), said it would give direct tickets in some areas and only hold primaries where consensus fails.
Earlier, Mr Joho, an ODM deputy party leader, had said he would not endorse anyone for the hotly contested ticket and seat.
He had asked his deputy William Kingi, Mr Nassir and businessman Suleiman Shahbal to square it out for the ODM flag.
Mr Shahbal, who has lost the gubernatorial race to Mr Joho twice, is a newcomer in ODM after defecting from Wiper.
He is Mr Joho’s business partner and the county recently awarded him Sh6 billion Buxton Housing project deal.
Mr Nassir’s endorsement by the governor comes months after a host of local ODM leaders backed the Mvita MP.
In October, Mombasa Woman Representative Asha Mohammed and Mombasa Senator Mohammed Faki and MPs Badi Twalib (Jomvu) and Mishi Mboko (Likoni) said they would support his candidature as they campaign for their party leader Raila Odinga to win the presidency.
Changamwe MP Omar Mwinyi is the only ODM elected leader yet to declare his support for any of the five gubernatorial aspirants who are angling to succeed Mr Joho.
On Saturday, Ms Mboko said Mr Nassir was the most suitable candidate to take over the mantle after Mr Joho.
“Since you are completing your term and going for national posts, down here we want to be safe in the hands of our brother Mr Nassir, a man whom we know his background, understand him,” she said.
“He’s humble, accessible and loves people. He should succeed you to complete your legacy projects.”
Mr Twalib said Mr Nassir was the most suitable leader to succeed Mr Joho and urged the rivals of the Mvita MP to concede.
Mr Nassir, who was elated by the endorsements, pledged to promote peace in the county.
“We will continue living in harmony and coexistence,” said Mr Nassir.
But the announcement by Mr Joho seems to be already creating rifts in Orange party, with Mr Shahbal and Mr Kingi skipping Mr Odinga’s Azimio La Umoja meeting held in Kisauni yesterday.
Previously, the two have been attending Mr Odinga’s meeting whenever he visited Coast region but this time round they were conspicuously missing.
Mr Shahabal’s team defended his absence, saying he was not invited, adding that he is not worried about endorsements.
“We are with the people. We have been moving to the ground to sell our agenda and manifesto. We are focusing on the mwananchi just like our party leader Mr Odinga has been saying it’s the wananchi who will,” said Mr Shahbal’s political manager Abdirahman Idriss.
Mr Kingi could not be reached to give reasons of skipping Mr Odinga’s meeting on Sunday.
Other aspirants eying Mombasa governorship are Kisauni MP Ali Mbogo (Wiper), former Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar, former Nyali MP Awiti Bolo (UDF), Mohammed Bahaidar (UDA) and Sanjeev Agwaral (UDA). BY DAILY NATION