A petition has been filed in court against ODM presidential hopeful Jimmy Wanjigi’s candidature.

The petition was filed by politician Cathy Irungu against ODM’s decision to allow Wanjigi to campaign for the party’s ticket even though he is not recognised as an official member of ODM.

Irungu argued it is unconstitutional for Wanjigi to campaign as it also undermines the party’s position as a reputable party nationwide.

“That the respondent has jointly and severally joined efforts with strangers to the party including the interested party herein, with an aim of embarrassing the functioning and integrity of the political party of nationwide repute,” the court documents read.

Irungu told the court that the party did not make it certain that Wanjigi completed the entrenched temporal requirements for membership as the constitution dictates before announcing his candidature.

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According to Irungu, Wanjigi’s move has thrown the party into confusion therefore should be retracted promptly.

She said Wanjigi has sabotaged the party’s prerequisites of ethics and integrity as written in ODM’s constitution posing a threat to the party.

“The respondent has sabotaged the party’s prerequisites of ethics and integrity as enunciated in the constitution of the party with the predisposition and effect of actually paralysing the party and causing tremendous confusion to the members thereof,” she added.

Irungu also told the court that Wanjigi’s life membership approval was never done by the National Executive Committee because the application was never presented in the first place.

She also asserted that the party stands to lose its political standing if the matter is not handled urgently.

“Unless this application is heard and determined urgently, the entire party stands to lose its standing in the political spheres, which cannot be remedied by way of damages,” she stated.

The Nyeri politician said the party should be handed an injunction, stopping it from allowing strangers to form opinions and run with the party’s agenda.