Tension is brewing within the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party in Gulu district with majority of the aspirants who have shown interests in the Municipality Mayor positions ahead of 2016 general elections opting to contest on independent tickets.
The aspirants on separate occasions have cited a big shot within the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) had influenced the nomination of his own candidate to be flag bearer for the Mayoral positions.
The latest to opt for the independent ticket is Mr Denis Okello Oweka, one of the four NRM aspirants who showed interest for the position.
Late last month, the incumbent Gulu Municipality Mayor, Mr George Labeja quit the NRM primary race to go on independent arguing that Brigadier Charles Otema Awany had manipulated the NRM registrar in Gulu to fail all candidates that are not of his choice.
Speaking to Acholi Times in a telephone interview on Wednesday, Mr Oweka said, he has observed a lot of unfairness and loopholes in the coming NRM primary elections adding a specific candidate had been hand chosen to win the primary election.
“I have witnessed its useless to continue going for the primary election yet people deemed suitable have been fronted. Some of us are now being seen as unfit,”
He said the troubles started in March when Brigadier Awany openly identified a candidate in the names of Mr Alfred Okwonga as the person to carry the flag for the party for next year’s Mayoral Elections.
“This is unfair to us; we all have specific interests for contesting in the race, Brigadier Awany who is supposed to be our mentor has turned around our backs with his specific interests of dictating for candidates he feels should carry the party’s flag in the district,”
says Mr Oweka.
“I and some affected aspirants in the district have tried to lodge the complaints in May to the NRM chairperson in a meeting held in May this year at Taks Art center in Gulu town but nothing was done, we did not get any feedback till now,” says Mr Oweka
He noted that it’s wasteful at the moment to make complaints at the NRM party secretariat arguing he is sure of not being attended to.
“All I wish for is to privately contest as an independent candidate I have not jumped out of NRM, I am still a party member,” he added.
Party Registration still going on
He added that despite registrations that were supposed to be for people whose names had not appeared in the party registers, many new members are still being registered which shows irregularities.
Outgoing Gulu District NRM Chairperson, Mr Kizza Aboga when contacted said Oweka and Mr Labeja who opted for independent tickets were just afraid of competition in NRM.
“How can they say Brig Awany influence the yet to be election process or even me on selecting who is fit for the race?, These are cowards who fear defeat in our transparent primary elections,”
Efforts to reach out to the UPDF Chief of Engineering and Logistics Brig Awany for comments were futile as he didn’t pick up the repeated phone calls.
However in an earlier interview with Daily Monitor early this month, Brig Awany refuted claims that he had handpicked candidates to occupy mayor positions while others have been intimidated to drop out.
Mr Okwonga who is accused of being handpicked when contacted denied being backed up by Brig Awany as being a sole flag bearer in the coming primary election arguing he has done consultations and thus have backings from his voters.
The aspirants that are on the race for the flag bearer includes Mr Joachim Labongo and Mr Alfred Okwonga.
In August this year, some NRM women contestants vying for the flag bearer of Gulu Woman Member of Parliament complained of being asked to step down by Brig Awany in favor of former Gulu RDC Catherine Lamwaka.
NRM party is set to hold country wide primary elections on 25th of this month.
