Sole candidate decisions splits Gulu NRM women aspirants

Tension is brewing among National Resistance Movement (NRM) women contestants vying for the flag bearer of Gulu Woman Member of Parliament race over a decision by the NRM top shots in the district to front a sole candidate.
The decision is aimed at beating incumbent Gulu District Woman MP Betty Aol Ocan who is a member of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) in next year’s general election, who has held the seat for two terms.
According to some aggrieved aspirants, the former Gulu Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Ms Catherine Lamwaka is the most favoured candidate for the position of flag bearer.

Deputy speaker Gulu district Council, Ms Joyce Reena Alima, NRM flag bearer in 2011 election Ms Grace Oleyowiya, Ms Harriet Aber Lajul, Ms Rose Nyapolo and Sharon Balmoi Laker who all showed interest have since expressed unfairness over the decision of fronting a single candidate citing the move is undemocratic.
Oleyowiya and Alima have since bowed out of the contest after a two days meeting convened last week at the secretariat offices in Kampala where they cited pressure was mounted on them to give way for a single candidate.
Nyapolo, Aber and Laker complained of the same but remained defiant arguing they will not bow out of the primary election race for flag bearer.
The aggrieved aspirants made their complaints during a meeting convened by Deputy Secretary General NRM, Mr Richard Todwong on Monday to acquaint the NRM candidates and party members on the guidelines of the coming primary elections.
We were intimidated

Aber, one of the candidates said there was too much intimidation put against them that forced some of their colleagues out minus the party giving them the plat form to explain their reasons of contesting.
“We all have our reasons to contest in this race; I for one prepared myself for it and want to prove my worth. I am not coming into leadership for money, or for a job, I want to lead my people and no one should deter my ambitions,”
She added that despite the meeting convened to discuss who can be fronted, she has decided not to pull out but noted that any candidate who wins the primaries will have her support.

Oleyowiya in an interview with Acholi Times said the decision to front Lamwaka as the flag bearer for Gulu woman MP started a long time ago and it is a decision they didn’t welcome because some of them had long prepared for the position.
“I have people who already knew I was going for the race, they had rallied behind me but since the party is deciding to have a strong candidate, I decided to pull out of it. This decision is however unfair for my political career,” says Oleyowiya.
Lamwaka, during the Monday meeting however said they had long settled their grievances adding no one was forced out or favored.
In house policy
Mr Towdong, in an interview however dismissed the claims that the aspirants were forced to step down in favor of Ms Lamwaka arguing that the meeting was called to discuss possible ways of fronting a single candidate to face FDC’s Ocan.
“This is what is done in every party, the numbers were too many, how can we go on with six candidates for this race, we needed to streamline the numbers to come up with a strong candidate,” says Todwong.