ODM Party Chairperson Gladys Wanga has dismissed Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna’s 2027 presidential bid, saying divisions within the opposition will make it difficult for him to secure the presidency.
Speaking in an interview on Hot 96 FM on Sunday , Wanga said the opposition was unlikely to agree on a single candidate ahead of the election, arguing that the absence of the kind of unity previously provided by the late ODM leader Raila Odinga would work against Sifuna and other presidential hopefuls.
“I can tell you, and we can even bet, this opposition they will not go to the ballot united,” Wanga said.
“I can tell you for sure that unity is a mirage,” she added, saying the opposition was experiencing a “big battle and clash of egos” as several leaders sought to position themselves for the presidency.
Wanga said Raila had played a crucial role in bringing opposition leaders together by giving them equal standing regardless of the size of their political following.
“Baba played a very big role in bringing heads together. Baba had the humility, had the patience to just keep on,” she said.
According to Wanga, the late opposition chief could accommodate leaders with relatively small political bases while working towards a broader coalition.
“He puts you on the table like you are at the same level with him. Yet he knows that he is way ahead. But he had the humility. He had the patience,” she said.
Wanga also questioned whether Sifuna's large crowds at recent rallies were an indication of his political strength, saying electoral influence could only ultimately be established through an election.
“Right now, if you say the people have moved because of crowds, it’s a superficial answer,” she said.
She pointed to recent by-elections as a better indicator of political support, arguing that ODM had retained seats it held before the contests.
“The real test is at the ballot,” Wanga said.
She further argued that the opposition was taking too long to identify its presidential candidate, giving President William Ruto and the broad-based government more time to campaign.
“People need a lot of time for you to talk to them and tell them who you are,” she said, warning that if the opposition settled on a candidate in January or February, “by the time they sell this candidate to this country, it’s too late sana.”
Wanga said none of the opposition figures had the same national reach and household recognition that Raila had commanded.
Sifuna, meanwhile, has formally launched his 2027 presidential campaign through The Equitable Party (TEP), which he unveiled in Nairobi on Sunday as the political vehicle for the Linda Mwananchi Movement.
He said the movement would seek to rebrand TEP as Linda Mwananchi but would contest the election under TEP if further obstacles were placed in the way.
“We launch a political movement today that shall renew our belief in constitutionalism and the rule of law,” Sifuna said.
Siaya Governor James Orengo backed Sifuna’s presidential ambitions but called for opposition parties to eventually unite behind one candidate.
“My position has not changed. My co-principals here know that my wish was to have one party, one presidential candidate,” he said.