The Orange Democratic Movement has threatened to sue Democracy for Citizens Party leader Rigathi Gachagua over remarks in which he alleged that the party, together with the electoral commission, had planned to rig the Magarini by-election.

ODM Deputy Party Leader Abdulswamad Nassir said the statements by Gachagua were defamatory and meant to undermine confidence in the poll.

Nassir, who spoke during a briefing on Monday evening, urged Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro to consider taking legal action against Gachagua, insisting the allegations amounted to character assassination. He maintained that the former Deputy President was using the claims to draw attention to his party.

“If I were the governor of Kilifi and such allegations came to me, I would strongly consider suing that gentleman who, to me, is a former disgraced Deputy President, nothing else. By doing this, he is just acting so that his party can be mentioned,” Nassir said.

At the same time, Nassir dismissed claims that Governor Mung’aro had used county funds to campaign for ODM candidate Harrison Garama Kombe, saying all campaign activities were financed through individual contributions.  

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“He should leave us. If he had evidence, he should have come forward. His comments are uncalled for. We have been campaigning just like other candidates, and we have no hidden agenda,” Nassir added.

The ODM deputy leader said their opponents had sensed defeat and were resorting to political theatrics and expressed confidence that Kombe would clinch the seat, noting that the party’s message had resonated widely across Magarini.

“Our opponents have sensed defeat; that’s why they’re making all sorts of claims. But we have run a people-first campaign that has reached every corner of Magarini, and we are confident of victory,” he said.

He further urged supporters to remain calm and turn out in large numbers on polling day, while calling on state agencies to guarantee order.

“I urge our supporters to turn out in large numbers and call on the authorities to maintain peace. The IEBC must deliver a free, fair and credible election,” he said.

Meanwhile, Governor Mung’aro, through his lawyers, has demanded an apology from Gachagua over the corruption and vote-rigging allegations made during a televised interview on Sunday evening. The governor insisted that the claims were baseless and defamatory.

In a letter, Mung’aro’s legal team asked the DCP leader to retract the remarks or face legal consequences and described the allegations as misleading, degrading and alarmist.

The lawyers outlined Mung’aro’s movements on the dates cited by Gachagua, stating that he had been holding rallies and meeting village elders in various parts of Adu Ward and had not met IEBC Vice Chairperson Fahima Araphat Abdallah as alleged.

They said the governor spent the specific evenings at Kudu Camp in Chakama and later at Lion in the Sun in Malindi, and had not received any list of presiding officers or interacted with senior IEBC officials at any hotel.

The letter added that Gachagua’s allegations did not correspond with the governor’s documented schedule and were aimed at stirring unnecessary tension ahead of the by-election.