- During the rally, Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir said ODM must field Raila as its presidential candidate in 2027.
- Nairobi is Raila's 15 stop over since he launched the aggressive exercise aimed at netting more ODM members across the country.
Image: RAILA ODINGA / X
The Orange Democratic Movement(ODM) has revealed that it is targeting to hit 10 million members by April this year.
Former Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya said on Sunday that the party is determined to cross the 10 million mark before it holds grassroots elections.
Oparanya who is also the party's co-deputy party leader alongside former Mombasa governor Hassan Joho, said the plan is to make ODM the biggest party in the country by membership.
"Our objective in ODM is to have 10 million members by April when we shall be doing our internal elections,'' Oparanya said.
Oparanya said asked Kenyans who share in the philosophy and ideology of ODM should register as members of the party.
Speaking during a membership recruitment drive in Nairobi's Kamukunji Grounds, Oparanya tipped Raila's supporters that the ongoing process is aimed at firming up the ODM leader's 2027 presidential run.
"When we have more members we will be sure that in 2027 we shall send Baba(Raila) to State House,'' Oparanya said.
The politician told the party supporters that if the party manages to stay ahead of the pack membership recruitment, then Raila will easily win the 2027 contest.
"We have agreed that if we register members properly, then it will be over for 2027 so that Raila gets to State House," he said.
Earlier, during the rally, Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir said ODM must field Raila as its presidential candidate in 2027.
''When Raila speaks, he speaks the truth and that is why we want Baba must be on the ballot in 2027,'' Nassir said.
Oparanya said other affiliate parties in Azimio will also continue to register their members across the country to strengthen the coalition ahead of the 2027 polls.
The leaders spoke when Raila on Sunday led a drive to push Nairobi residents to register as members of his party.
The opposition leader, who was accompanied by top ODM officials, unveiled the membership registration exercise at Nairobi's Kamkunji grounds.
Nairobi is Raila's 15 stop over since he launched the aggressive exercise aimed at netting more ODM members across the country.
Speaking during the exercise, the ODM secretary-general Edwin Sifuna urged Nairobians to register as party members ahead of the 2027 polls.
"Let us come out and register as members because this is the biggest political party in the country, we want everybody to be part of ODM,'' Sifuna said.
The Nairobi Senator said the Kibra constituency has the highest number of registered ODM members in Nairobi.