GULU, UGANDA | THE INDEPENDENT | The Forum for Democratic Change-FDC Party President Patrick Oboi Amuriat has called on opposition leaders in the Acholi sub-region to return to what he describes as the ‘original’ FDC party.
Amuriat told locals at a rally in Gulu City over the weekend that some party members from the Acholi Sub-region recently moved away from the main FDC party leadership to join its rival members in Katonga following a power rift in the party.
He particularly invited Betty Aol Ocan, the Gulu City Woman legislator, and Denis Ameere Onekalit, Kitgum Municipality MP to return “home” after taking sides with Dr. Kizza Besigye’s katonga faction. The two legislators are among some FDC stalwarts in Parliament from the Acholi Sub-region who denounced the leadership of Amuriat and FDC Secretary General Nathan Nandala Mafabi.
Amuriat told the FDC supporters in Gulu City that despite the rows being witnessed within the party, there isn’t another FDC party and urged its members who have moved away to return.
According to Amuriat, any party member intending to contest for an elective position under the FDC party ticket will only do so with the official party stamp and signature which is currently in the hands of the party secretary general Mafabi.
Among the opposition FDC party legislators within the Acholi Sub-region supporting Amuriat who were present during the rally included Kilak South legislator Gilbert Olanya, Amuru Woman Legislator Lucy Akello, and Chua West legislator Philip Polly Okin Ojara.
Okin told the crowd that they would remain in total support of the Party headquarters in Najjanankumbi which has been known to be the true FDC, unlike the recent faction at Katonga. He equally called on his fellow FDC political leaders in the Acholi Sub-region to think about their decision to take sides with the Katonga rivals.
Nathan Nandala Mafabi, the FDC Secretary-General in his remarks to the locals said they feel bad that some party members from the sub-region are leaving at the time they need unity to galvanize support for FDC in the country. Mafabai asked party members to embrace forgiveness among themselves arguing that as the secretary general, he too needs to be forgiven in case he wronged some people.
He also alleged that despite his loyalty to the former party president Dr. Kizza Besigye, all he got in reward was abuse and allegations of being bribed by the NRM-led regime. Mafabai however denied the allegations arguing that he is priceless.
Both Ameere and Aol couldn’t be reached for comments by press time on Sunday evening.
Early last month, the FDC Katonga faction unveiled a parallel team of executives in Gulu City after undertaking a grassroots election within the 128 cells and 32 wards in the Divisions of Bardege-Layibi and Pece-Laroo. The new set of leaders includes 11 executive members within the city chaired by Patrick Oola Lumumba and deputized by Betty Aol Ocan and 22 others in the Pece-Laroo and Bardege-Layibi divisions.
FDC party has continued to witness a major division among its party members following a bitter split between the top leadership of the once largest and strongest opposition political party in the country since last year.
Dr. Besigye, one of the FDC party founding members and former party president last year accused both Amuriat and Mafabi of receiving dirty money from President Museveni during the 2021 General election, leading to the formation of the Katonga faction.
*****
URN