Make-or-break day for FDC

By BY BUSEIN SAMILU         & DAMALI MUKHAYE             

As top leaders of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) today converge at the party headquarters for a meeting which observers say will determine its very future, the competing factions continued to take pot-shots at each other yesterday.

The party spokesperson, Mr Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda joined deputy president for Buganda, Mr Erias Lukwago in accusing party president Patrick Oboi Amuriat and Secretary General Nathan Nandala Mafabi of doctoring a key report on an alleged multibillion shilling bribery scandal in which they are reportedly implicated.
He also called for the immediate resignation of the two senior leaders, a possibility Mr Amuriat quickly ruled out -- even if he was adversely named in the findings.

With the report likely to be top of the agenda at the highly anticipated meeting, both Mr Mafabi and Mr Amuriat were quick to refute the latest allegation levelled against them. 
Mr Amuriat said it is an insult for the officials, whom he said participated in selecting the special elders’ body which looked into the bribery matter, to turn around and undermine their own creation.

“Even if we would like to manipulate it, we couldn’t manage,” he said.
“I interacted with that committee three times; when I was briefing it as the party president, while appearing there as the accused, and lastly, during the exit meeting which was also attended by Dr [Kizza] Besigye and Hon Ekanya Geofrey,” Mr Amuriat said.
Mr Ssemuju had insisted the committee was hand-picked by Mr Amuriat yet he was himself a subject of the inquiry.

By yesterday morning, the tone for the National Council meeting appeared to be set by district chairpersons and secretaries general from the northern districts of Gulu, Agago, Kitgum, and Pader who tabled a list of four demands. 

Among these were a demand for the elders committee to submit authentic findings from their investigations, postponement of scheduled grassroots elections and enforced dialogue between the conflicting factions.
Today’s meeting is expected to also reflect upon the internal electoral processes initially planned for between July 17 and August 6, ending in the November National Delegates Conference, where new leaders, including the president would be elected. 

Those elections became a source of contention after being singled out for postponement with Mr Amuriat and Mr Mafabi backing them amidst growing opposition.
“Tomorrow [today] is a watershed day and its events will determine the future of FDC,” Mr Lukwago said in an interview.
He told this newspaper that delegates must choose between realigning FDC or allowing the ruling NRM regime hijack it, warning that “history will harshly judge us if the delegates choose the latter”.

With attention focused on the elders’ body, its chairman, Dr Frank Nabwiso, had moved to reassure party members, telling Daily Monitor on Tuesday that he is incorruptible.  
But that reassurance didn’t stop Mr Lukwago from fretting that “if they colluded and handed the report to the accused they will be judged more harshly by history”. The run-up to today’s event also continued to follow the same pattern of the last two weeks, with claim and counter claim being made by either faction.

Daily Monitor was not able to verify any of these claims by press time.
At one end, Mr Ssemujju claimed that the Mafabi-Amuriat axis had on Tuesday night quietly stuffed unnamed delegates into an equally unnamed hotel for dinner “to convince them to go with the false findings of report which says that the [alleged bribe] money did not come from State House.”

“We question [the report’s] credibility but we shall go there and attend and see if the environment will allow us to discuss because as I am speaking right now, the FDC party headquarters is under a reign of terror. When you go there, you are welcomed by a group of kifeesi (thugs),” he said.

It was not clear whether these thugs are part of the gang which assaulted journalists after forcibly detaining and stopping FDC national chairman, Mr Wasswa Birigwa from addressing a press conference in Najjanankumbi last week.
Denying claims that he hosted a dinner for delegates, Mr Mafabi said today’s meeting will be peaceful, before also making his own claim, alleging that the Ssemujju-Lukwago side have mobilised over 4,000 members to disrupt it.

“We alerted police because we may need them if this happens but I can assure you that only members who are supposed to enter will access the offices. We have also issued accreditation to journalists who will cover this meeting. No one else will be allowed,” he said.
Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, SSP Patrick Onyango confirmed the Force will deploy around Najanankumbi to provide security.

“The deployment is intended to prevent bloodshed, we anticipate that the two groups might fight and it is our role in the Constitution to protect people’s lives and property. The security is also intended to deter any criminal activity that can crop up in that area,” he said.  
Amidst the tough talk, national vice chairman, Mr Roland Kaginda Mugume repeated calls for dialogue while asking members to discuss with calm and respect for each other today.

View from Acholi
With the sub-region historically enjoying pride of place as one of the FDC’s former strongholds – until the ruling NRM knocked them off that position during the 2021 general elections, the leaders from here appeared to take the lead yesterday.

Addressing the press in Kampala, they were unanimous on dialogue between the factions and a suspension of the grassroots elections, observing that all the nine districts of Acholi sub-region, like most of the rest of the country, didn’t participate in the first round to choose party village leaders last week.

“All the previous national council meetings have been peaceful. We, therefore, do not expect to see goons at Najjanankumbi tomorrow (today). The party should ensure that only invited delegates turn up for this meeting,” said Mr Kenneth Opoka, the FDC chair in Agago.
Mr Opoka indicated that they had been reliably informed that individuals he did not name have deployed “goons” at Najjanankumbi to disrupt proceedings.

Adding: “Our motto of the party is ‘one Uganda one people.’ We were very annoyed when some party leaders started taking sides. We are supposed to work in harmony. Both Katonga and Najjanankumbi belong to FDC. For us, we shall not take any side.”

From Kitgum, party chairman Morris Oyoo Santo struck a conciliatory tone, advising that “the party leaders should to sit at a round table and solve these issues amicably “.  Out of Gulu, Mr Wilson Oyay Chagga, general secretary, said: “For now, since we have not received the report from the elders who were tasked to investigate the money allegations, we cannot point fingers at anyone.”