Nairobi lawyer Ahmednasir Abdulahi now says he cannot act for President-elect William Ruto in the Supreme Court in an election petition expected to be filed by Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya coalition on Monday, August 22.
In a tweet, the city lawyer said he was interested in the case, but could not take it up due to conflict of interest.
“I want but i can’t act for President Elect Ruto in the Supreme Court. I’m conflicted.
“In 2017 I acted for outgoing President Uhuru against Hon Raila.
“Now that Uhuru’s project (Hon Raila) is challenging Ruto’s victory obviously Uhuru will object and raise clients-advocate privilege,” he said.
Ruto’s win to be challenged in court
The stage has been set for an epic legal battle at the Supreme Court starting today as Azimio-One Kenya flagbearer Raila Odinga moves to challenge Wafula Chebukati’s declaration of United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate William Ruto as president-elect.
Raila and Azimio are likely to ask the Supreme Court to tally the votes of the presidential election results afresh.
Sources with Raila’s legal team yesterday told Nairobi Today News that the Azimio flagbearer was unlikely to ask the court to annul the election.
According to the sources privy to the affidavit being compiled by the Raila team, he intends to use four main grounds in the petition; the discrepancies in numbers in announced presidential results in Ruto strongholds of Mt Kenya and Rift Valley; manipulation of Forms 34A that led to the alleged posting of fake forms on the IEBC portal; failure to account for spoilt votes and the decision by Chebukati to run the affairs without involving his colleagues.
Raila has engaged a team of top lawyers who are scheduled to file the petition ahead of today’s 2pm deadline.
It is expected that the electoral commission, its chairman Chebukati, Ruto and his running mate, Rigathi Gachagua, will be among those listed as respondents.
Over the weekend, lawyers representing all four camps were holed up in separate closed-door meetings to gather evidence, plan arguments and strategise on how to successfully prosecute or defend their respective positions.
