1,200 FDC delegates arrive for Najja conference today

By last evening, over 1000 delegates had been accredited for today’s national delegate’s conference of the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party amidst a pending court ruling that was to determine its fate.

A total of 1,271 delegates from 123 districts are expected to attend today’s conference from which the party will elect its new leaders including the party president, national chairman, and secretary general treasurer, among others. 
The categories of the delegates who had reported were district chairpersons, district secretary for publicity and mobilisation, district general secretary, district women league chairperson and district youth secretary.

At constituency level, delegates are the chairperson and general secretary of whom one must be a female.
Mr Nathan Nandala Mafabi, the party Secretary General said that the party is well prepared for the event and warned whoever is planning to disorganise them to be dealt with.
“If you are a member of the party come and enter but don’t come to disorganise, that one will not be accepted,” he said.

He added: “Whoever wants to come to Lugogo must come when they have made their will.”
Mr Mafabi, who described the Katonga faction members as selfish, said he would deal with them after the elections.
The party’s electoral commission chairperson said they are ready to handle the polls according to the guidelines.

However, it remains unclear who will chair the meeting since the party constitution only gives powers to the party chairman to convene and chair the national delegate’s conference.
Mr John Kikonyogo, the party deputy spokesperson, had earlier told this publication that the meeting can be chaired by any of the vice persons if the chairperson, Mr Wasswa Birigwa is away.
Mr Birigwa is part of the Katonga faction led by interim party president Erias Lukwago that has disowned the leadership of Najjanankumbi for allegedly receiving “dirty cash” from State House ahead of the 2021 general polls.
 
The Najjanankumbi group has since denied the allegations.
FDC, the biggest opposition party in Parliament from 2006 to 2021, split into two, with one faction loyal to former party president Dr Kizza Besigye referred to as “Katonga faction” while others loyal to Mr Patrick Oboi Amuriat and Mr Nathan Nandala Mafabi stayed at Najjanankumbi, the party headquarters.

Katonga faction
On Wednesday, the chairperson of the Opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Mr Wasswa Birigwa, asked the High Court to block today’s delegates conference being held at Najjanankumbi until the matter is resolved in another court case.