The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Patrick Oboi Amuriat faction has demanded that Kira Municipality MP and FDC party spokesperson Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda apologise for holding an illegal assembly.
The faction also wants Ssemujju to step down as party spokesperson for what has been deemed indiscipline.
Robert Centenary, who represented Amuriat, stated that Ssemujju needs to be disciplined immediately, and if the party does not take action, Ssemujju should discipline himself.
Centenary also urged Ssemujju to respect the party and play his role in speaking for it, adding that if he has dissenting views, he should not question the values and system of FDC as a value based party.
"If the party doesn't take disciplinary action against the Hon Ssemujju and then he should be cautious enough to discipline himself that is how people who were brought up well are supposed to behave especially when you are holding a public office," he said.
Centenary asked Ssemujju to respect the party, adding that if he has any dissenting views the system of FDC as a value based party is very clear on how those views can be addressed.
"You stop being divisionary and play your role of speaking for the party and you are supposed to speak good for the party. I have never seen a spokesperson of an institution speaking ill against that institution," he said.
The chief electoral commissioner, Boniface Toterebuka Bamwenda said the FDC National Executive Committee adopted the Structure Building Roadmap 2023, which includes the Structure Elections Roadmap. The village and parish structure elections were scheduled to start on June 19, 2023.
However, on June 16, the National Executive Committee requested the EC to adjust the roadmap for four weeks starting on June 16, 2023.
The extension was intended to allow different leaders to try to harmonise amongst themselves as elections could kick off after the four weeks.
According to the adjusted roadmap, the elections of village and Parishes will take place from July 21 to 23, 2023. The party shall elect leaders starting from the village to the district and then hold the National Delegates Conference to elect National Executive Committee Members. They expect to hold elections in 71,230 villages, 10,595 Parishes, 2211 Sub-Counties, 353 Constituencies, and 150 districts. At each level, they shall elect nine members of the Youth League, nine members of the Women League, and eight members of the Mainstream/executive.
Ssemujju claimed that there are allegations that Nathan Nandala Mafabi, the secretary-general of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), is planning to hand over the party to President Museveni.
He expressed his belief that President Museveni is accelerating his agenda to eradicate all political parties, including the FDC.
The tension in the party has split the party into two factions: one by current president Patrick Oboi Amuriat and a second led by Dr. Kizza Besigye Kifefe, to which Ssemujju belongs.
During a consultative meeting, Ssemujju raised concerns that Mafabi may be intending to manipulate the upcoming election in order to seize control of the FDC and align it with the state house.
The power struggle between the party leaders has been ongoing since 2016, with counter accusations between Nandala Mafabi, Ssemujju Nganda, and party president, Patrick Oboi Amuriat.
The disagreement among the leaders emanate from unresolved party wrangling involving party leadership, led by FDC president Patrick Amuriat Oboi and party secretary general Nathan Nandala Mafabi (Budadiri County West MP).
The source of the fractures within the FDC is reportedly the disagreement between Mafabi and Amuriat over party leadership.
Mafabi has been accused of failing to implement a key party decision, while Ssemujju accused him of corruption.
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A group of party supporters, recently moved a vote of no confidence in Nandala and Oboi for allegedly failing to implement key party decisions as were agreed by national executive council (NEC) members.
The petitioners who were members of NEC, attended a national council meeting that took a decision to remit 50% of all the income into the party to the districts to help district leaders implement key party resolutions, which the accused allegedly shunned.
Nganda has accused Mafabi of undermining the party's principles, and sources say that the misunderstanding was majorly sparked by a substantial amount of money received by Nandala Mafabi's group whose source was unclear.
He allegedly failed to declare the source of the money.
Ssemujju Nganda said FDC Internal elections help political parties renew themselves. Unfortunately, the internal elections, which provide an opportunity to present themselves again, are being selfishly bungled.
