Christopher Opiyo Ateker, NRM’s Gulu Spokesman described Mr Okello as a divisive figure who for long has been engineering intrigues and fights within the party leading to its poor performance in Gulu.
According to Ateker, under Mr Okello’s leadership it was difficult to mobilize and recruit new members.
Ateker claims that Okello was not a sincere person describing him as a ‘‘greedy’’ person who has been hiding under NRM for opportunistic benefits. Ateker also said for long the NRM was aware of Mr Okello’s plan to quit the NRM saying this is the reason why he was sidelined from party activities.
He cited the recent case were Okello was barred from travelling to Kampala to attend President Museveni’s swearing- in. Ateker said this is because there was already suspicion in the NRM that Okello was working for the Opposition.
While announcing his quitting of the NRM last week Douglas Peter Okello popularly known as Okao said he was leaving the party because his role had long been hijacked. He also gave intrigue and backstabbing as reason for his leaving NRM to contest as an independent for the Chairmanship of the newly created Omoro district.
NRM’s Secretary for Mobilization for Gulu Municipality, Geoffrey Akena, says despite Okello leaving the party, it will not prevent NRM from recruiting new members.
On his part while announcing his switching of political camp, Okello described NRM members in Gulu as saboteurs and malicious.
Okello did not say which party he will join after leaving the NRM. But there is talk that his next political home could be the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC).
At the press conference to announce his leaving of the NRM, Okello was accompanied by Gulu district Chairman Ojara Martin Mapenduzi, himself a supporter of the FDC.
