ODM has given direct nomination to former Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) Director General Pavel Oimeke to fly its flag in the Bonchari Constituency mini poll.

Oimeke will now face off with Deputy President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party, which is fielding Teresa Bitutu, the widow of late area MP John Oroo Oyioka.

Last week, the former EPRA boss resigned to vie in the May 18 Bonchari by-election even as faces corruption cases over his tumultuous tenure at the energy regulator.

ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna says the decision to pick Oimeke was arrived at after consultations within the National Executive Committee of the party headed by Raila Odinga.

The move, which has locked out ODM’s John Momanyi, who was third in the 2017 election, will see Raila face off yet again with Ruto after the DP embarrassed him in Msambweni.

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“We were not able to get a mediated consensus but considering all the circumstances and the advice of the consultant we had hired to tell us the best candidate, we have settled on Mr Pavel Oimeke as our candidate for the Bonchari by-election,” Sifuna said.

Raila’s ODM party is now expected to formally write to its National Elections Board chairperson who will in turn issue a parliamentary nomination certificate to Oimeke to vie.

Other candidates who are eyeing the Bonchari seat are former MP Zebedeo Opore on a Jubilee Party ticket, Victor Omanwa of Party of Economic Democracy among others.