Budadiri West MP Nandala Mafabi opted out of the Forum for Democratic Change presidency race ‘because he believes the main opposition party is now becoming irrelevant’, the latest information reveals.
Mafabi’s longtime rival Maj Gen Mugisha Muntu is today Monday expected to seek nomination for election of party president having served five years as political head. This election has left the party divided and efforts to reconcile the two have since hit a snag.
In 2012, Muntu defeated Mafabi with 32 votes and the two have not seen eye-to-eye since with party mobilizers led by Edward Wambede once told Muntu that by clashing with Nandala who is revered for being the chairperson Bugisu Cooperative Union, he has made FDC seriously lose support in not only Mbale but the entire Bugisu region.
“Even if Mafabi is out of the country and wanted to pick the forms, our constitution allows him to pick them through an agent, which he hasn’t done,” the party’s electoral commission chairperson Dan Mugarura said.
But a close ally of Mafabi says the astute politician and many other legislators are planning to create a new political formation for change, which will have independent MPs, some NRM MPs and Opposition MPs.
Mafabi the FDC Secretary General has convinced them that he has over 10 MPs who he is directly recruiting from his party as they consider Muntu a ‘political softie’ who can’t push their change agenda any further.
Some people within the party reasoned that the elections will be a stop-gap measure, to enable the Muntu camp enjoy the seat as per the party Constitution while former party leader Dr Kiiza Besigye continues to overshadow them with his defiance campaigns.
TheUgandan recently reported about whispers in the Najjankumbi FDC corridors that President Yoweri Museveni has been having his eyes on Nandala Mafabi and Ingrid Turinawe as his next big fish from the opposition and they have been talking back and forth.
It is yet to be seen if Mafabi’s bad blood with Muntu and his walk out will further split the party.
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