Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga has hit at nominated MP John Mbadi over threats that he will resign as the national chairman of the ODM party.
Wanga on Thursday said instead of the legislator threatening of the move, if he feels aggrieved then the honorable thing to do is let it go and resign.
Wanga’s remarks come just a day after Mbadi said he had made up his mind to resign after feeling disrespected by a section of key leaders in ODM.
According to him, the disrespect is a clear sign that his stay at the helm of the party leadership is no longer tenable.
The legislator did not however reveal when exactly he’ll tender his resignation, but said that his decision to quit is final.
“I have already made a decision regarding that matter,” Mbadi told The Standard in a phone interview.
Some ODM members have accused the former Suba South MP of abandoning Party leader Raila Odinga and failure to champion the party’s push in opposing President William Ruto’s decisions that ODM consider to be punitive and retrogressive.
At the same time, some ODM MPs have taken issue with Mbadi’s failure to attend political rallies convened by Odinga.
Confirming that he won’t rescind his decision to resign, the lawmaker said: “It’s the right time now for me to give way. I haven’t tendered my resignation yet, but I will do it. I will leave office.”
“When it reaches the point where the holder of the position as important as the chairperson of a political party does not enjoy respect from some key members of the party, then the best thing to do is to give room for someone else to pick up from where I’d have left,” he said.
But Wanga in her remarks said Mbadi had become an obstacle to prosperity of political development of the party.
She argued that ODM had recorded deterioration since Mbadi began leading the party as the national chairman in the last nine years.
“Why is Mbadi threatening us with resignation. I am challenging him that there is no need of issuing the threats. He should have resigned as early as yesterday,” Wanga said.
In a speech that rekindled stiff rivalry between the two leaders, Wanga accused Mbadi of tainting her leadership in funerals.
She dared Mbadi to get ready for a dwell in gubernatorial race in 2027.
“He keeps accusing me and threatening to hold a demonstration against my administration. Let him try, he will find himself with his children alone in streets if he attempts to demonstrate,” Wanga said.
Wanga was provoked by Mbadi’s comments at a funeral in God Oloo Village, Suba South Constituency on Wednesday.
READ ALSO: Protesters attack two banks in Ibadan over Naira scarcity.
During the funeral, Mbadi accused Wanga of implementing SRC’s recommendation which reduced salaries for ECDE teachers.
Mbadi argued that implementation of the salaries had put many Homa Bay ECDE teachers in financially tribulations.
“It is wrong for Homa Bay County Government to put the teachers in frustrations. I am advising Wanga to listen to this problem,” said Mbadi said.
Mbadi threatened to hold a demonstration in the county if the ECDE teachers’ salaries reduction is not lifted.
“I am going to have serious wrangles with Wanga in this county,” said Mbadi.
Mbadi and Wanga have had fierce rivalry since the last electioneering period.
It is said the rivalry began when the two leaders showed interest in contesting for the governor seat in last year’s General Election.
The love-hate relationship between the two escalated after Wanga secured a free ODM ticket forcing Mbadi to drop his bid in her favor.
Although, Wanga won the contest, Mbadi is still criticising the decision to date.