About 500 FDC supporters in Amuriat’s village defect to NRM
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They include; Ms Angelline Osegge (Soroti woman MP), Herbet Ariko (Soroti Municipality) and Mr Elijah Okupa (Kasilo County).
Mr Amuriat could not be reached for comment but the FDC Secretary General, Mr Nathan Nandala Mafabi said Mr Mukula is running up and down because the NRM party leadership is in panic.
About 500 supporters of the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) in the home village of the party president, Mr Patrick Amuriat have defected to the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party.
According to the memorandum signed by the FDC defectors from Ajuket village in Kanyum Sub County, Kumi District which Daily Monitor has seen, they claim they were misled by Mr Amuriat to hate the NRM party.
“We have admitted that we had gone astray and we have done the worst thing to misunderstand the mandate of the NRM party and instead paint a bad picture to all efforts of the ruling party,” the memorandum dated April 14, 2020 reads in part.
Mr Ivan Okodel, one of the FDC mobilisers, who defected to NRM said their village has not been benefiting from government programmes because they were known to be in opposition.
“We have really faced a lot of problems because of opposing the NRM government. We have not been benefiting from the government programmes such as youth livelihood and women empowerment among others,” he said.
The disgruntled FDC defectors handed over their party cards during a meeting to launch the NRM road map in Kumi District, where NRM vice chairperson for Eastern region, Mr Mike Mukula, was the guest of honour.
The NRM vice chairperson (Eastern region), Mr Mike Mukula displays party cards received from the FDC supporters in Kumi District, who defected to NRM. PHOTOS | MICHEAL WONIALA
He welcomed them to the NRM party, saying it is the only sophisticated political group in the country.
“The FDC party is getting weaker and disorganised. Their house is on fire. Everybody is leaving including the founder members,” Mr Mukula said.
He added that the number of FDC MPs from Busoga, Teso and Bugisu are dropping because of the growing internal contradictions and conflicts.
“In Teso, for example, the number of MPs has been dropping since 2006 to date, from 16 to three but even those three have not picked nomination forms from the FDC party,” he said.
They include; Ms Angelline Osegge (Soroti woman MP), Herbet Ariko (Soroti Municipality) and Mr Elijah Okupa (Kasilo County).
Mr Amuriat could not be reached for comment but the FDC Secretary General, Mr Nathan Nandala Mafabi said Mr Mukula is running up and down because the NRM party leadership is in panic.
“Putting me under siege is impossible unless they overrun all bagisu. Mr Mukula is just running up and down because he is being paid,” he said.
Mr Nandala said as FDC leadership, they are still committed to the strong brief of liberating the country from the “NRM dictatorship”.
“We are still in the struggle. We are going to liberate ourselves from NRM. They will be ashamed,” he said, adding that MPs who have defected from FDC, have a right to do so.
