Kaboong by-election: FDC youth threaten to quit party over Semujju’s Shs1.2bn statement

The youthful supporters of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party in Kaabong have asked the party leaders to withdraw the statement claiming that Judith Adyaka Nalibe was bribed by NRM to pull out of Kaboong District Woman MP race.

FDC’s statement came after Nalibe, the FDC flag bearer tendered in her withdrawal letter from the race last week claiming that the party neglected her during the campaigns and as well, made empty promises to her.

“Since I started campaigning, my party has not been helpful to me. I only received Shs500,000 as support fund from them. Even my campaign posters have not been delivered, so I don’t have money to proceed,” Nalibe told the media Monday.

However, while addressing journalists at the FDC headquarters in Najjanankumbi Monday, FDC party spokesperson, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, reportedly said Nalibe was bribed by NRM to the tune of Shs1.2 billion and was also promised a big job in turn of letting their candidate Christine Tubo Nakwang win the election unopposed.

The allegation angered Nalibe and her supporters. 

“How many times did I call Mr. Nandala Mafabi (party secretary general) for financial support and turned down my calls? How many times did I call Mr Patrick Amuriat for the same thing and they kept tossing me around? So let them stop alleging funny things on me, I have not met President Museveni and have no reasons to meet him,”Nalibe reportedly said.

Joseph Sagala, one of the youthful supporters of FDC in Kaboong District said the current FDC is not the same party they used to support some 10 years back.

“We tried our level best calling our top leaders for resources, but in vain. We received our brothers from People Power who came to support us, but our own FDC party betrayed us,” he said.

Sagal said the FDC officials should own their mistakes rather than using such allegations to tarnish the image of their potential candidate.

“If it means shunning the FDC party we shall do it, we are even regretting, I wish she had contested as an independent candidate than getting messed up like this by FDC,” Grace Nakong, another FDC supporter said.

She claimed that when there is any candidate in western Uganda, the whole party members go to the campaigns, but when it comes to Karamoja, nobody bothers.

Kaabong District woman MP seat fell vacant after Lily Akello crossed to the newly created Karenga District in July this year.