After footage showing a commotion among supporters of ODM during the party’s rally at the Tononoka grounds last weekend went viral online, Mvita MP Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir who was also caught up in the ruckus says only death will stop his bid as he seeks to be next Mombasa governor, and that his currency is the people.
In an interview with a local publication on Friday, Nassir, also the Public Investments Committee (PIC) chair expressed confidence to win following the results of a number of pollsters, both internal and external, indicating he is the most preferred gubernatorial candidate by the people of Mombasa.
”One thing has given me a lot of courage in this race. The polls we have been doing internally and those done externally by other pollsters have proved beyond reasonable doubt we are on another level with the love coming from the people. We’re on another level altogether.” he said.
Read: Mvita MP: Raila never interferes with my job as PIC Chair
On whether his main competitor, Suleiman Shabal- who defected from Jubilee and was a runners up in the 2017 elections posed any challenges to his bid, the Mvita legislator says his currency is the people and he does not see any unnecessary challenges posed by the business mogul.
”I do not see we have an unnecessary challenge because our biggest asset is the people. I’m not a businessman. I am a servant. My currency is the people. My business is serving, so for me to be able to get rich is by serving the people more,” Abduslwamad added.
The two-term ODM MP believed to be close to Governor Hassan Joho is willing to learn from the outgoing governor’s mistakes and build on his successes while at the helm of Mombasa country from 2013.
”He has one vote which I am asking him for. But ultimately at the end of the day, my desire is to learn twofold – from the successes he has had, so that I can try to achieve more and also to learn from the mistakes that he made,” he said.
Currently, the Mombasa gubernatorial race is a two-horse race pitting the Mvita MP against businessman Suleiman Shahbal whom he will be battling out for the ODM ticket.
