Unity or Division? The Power Struggle Between Nabuin and Ariko in ODM Turkana
Last Updated on August 25, 2025 by Turkana County News Online
Allow me to share my sentiments. It’s just a minor opinion and observation, nothing more attached to it.
Today, ODM conducted grassroots elections for the chairmanship in Turkana. A better move would have been for the party leaders, in this case Hon. Ariko Namoit and Hon. Ekuom Nabuin, to sit down in a closed-door meeting and deliberate until they reached a consensus on who should take up the chair position in Turkana. The intention of ODM is to capture the gubernatorial seat in Turkana, but that cannot be achieved without unity among key party individuals.
Unfortunately, from the circulating video, we saw Hon. Ariko supporting Lokopir while Hon. Nabuin stood firm for himself in the same race. This clearly shows a lack of agreement and direction which almost escalated into physical confrontation as captured in the video. In the end, Nabuin was declared the winner. But the big question remains, what is the way forward? Definitely, this clash will cause a split between the two camps within ODM.
Looking deeper, why did this confrontation happen? Hon. Ariko is an influential and powerful opposition leader in Turkana, but he needs someone on the ground, fearless and committed, to help maintain his influence and expand his support base ahead of 2027. Nabuin, being his fellow MP, cannot play that role as he is not always on the ground and cannot act as an errand hand.
On the other hand, Hon. Nabuin enjoys love and support from Baba, but he still needs to prove his strength and ability to mobilize and influence. For him, holding a leadership position, even at the grassroots, gives him relevance and visibility.
Therefore, today’s clash was not really about the party’s future but more about individual interests and influence. Meanwhile, ODM’s official decision, whether favorable or not, is still pending in the press release they promised to issue. The question is, will that decision unite or further divide the party in Turkana?
If Hon. Ariko accepts the results and chooses to move forward, he will play a key role in uniting ODM in the region. However, if he rejects the outcome, then today may mark the beginning of ODM’s internal divisions in Turkana. Team Sheriff vs Team Dozier.
Meanwhile, I’m sure Napotikan is smiling, sipping his tea as he watches his opponents burn their house while fighting among themselves!
Opinion by Prince Sofari KE
