A section of youth in the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) in Gulu district have asked Reagan Okumu, the party’s vice president for northern Uganda to resign his position.
The FDC is Uganda’s largest opposition party.
In a letter dated May 16, 2017 and addressed to the to the Secretary General, Forum for Democratic Change, the youth argue that Reagan Okumu was elected on an independent ticket and that it is illegal for him to continue conducting business of FDC as regional Vice President for northern Uganda.
The letter partly reads: “The purpose of this letter therefore is to beseech you to prevail over the party electoral commission to officially declare this position (Vice President- Northern Uganda) vacant and organize an election to fill this position since failure to do so would be an alienation of northern region from FDC activities.”
Mr Okumu is the Member of Parliament representing Aswa constituency in Gulu district, a seat he won by, among others, beating the former Gulu Municipality Member of Parliament Christopher Acire.
James Oringa, the Gulu District FDC youth Chairperson told Acholi Times in an interview that Mr Okumu is occupying the office of the FDC Vice president for northern Uganda illegally. He threatened to go to court if the concerns raised by the youth to the FDC Secretary General is not addressed.
Although Okumu is one of the FDC’s party founding members, he retained his seat as an independent following a legal battle in which court ruled that Christopher Acire, another FDC member, was the party flag bearer in the Aswa County in the February 2016 parliamentary elections.
When contacted, MP Okumu linked his woes to the upcoming party elections in which the FDC is will elect a new President. The race is expected to be hot. Several top party officials including the Secretary General Nandala Mafabi have already expressed interest in the party’s top job. The current party president Rtd Gen Mugisha Muntu has also said he will contest again. To become FDC president Muntu beat Nandala. The acrimony between the two, resulting from the earlier contest, is not lost and might be beginning to surface again. Mr Okumu is thought to be in the Mugisha Muntu camp.
Wilson Oyat Chagga, the Gulu FDC party Secretary for Mobilization said he had received the letter and explained that a member automatically loses his or her position in the party after he or she switches to another political party or wins an election on an independent ticket. He cited Chapter 4, article 12 (d) of the FDC party constitution. Chagga revealed that they expect new regional vice presidents for the party to be elected during the National Delegate Conference which is set for November 2017.
In April 2016, Christopher Acire, has petition court seeking for the nullification of the victory of MP Okumu over what described failure by the Election Commission (EC) to comply with the electoral laws. But in June 2016, Justice David Matovu, the Mbarara resident High Court judge dismissed Acire’s election petition for of substantial evidence.
