Moses Atan Okia, the Soroti City East MP elect, says Patrick Amuriat Oboi’s candidature in the presidential election boosted their support in Teso. Amuriat hails from Teso sub region.
The Opposition
Forum for Democratic Change-FDC is the main beneficiary of the newly created
administrative units in Soroti District in the just concluded parliamentary elections.
FDC swept the polls in four of the newly created constituencies leaving a
single seat for an independent candidate.
FDC’s Joan
Achom Alobo emrged winner of the Soroti City Woman MP race, Moses Atan Okia
took the Soroti City East MP seat while Tom Julius Ekudo won the Gweri County
parliamentary polls. FDC leaning independent candidate, Jonathan Ebwalu took
the Soroti City West parliamentary seat. Julius Emigu also won the polls
in the newly created Ochero County in Kaberamaido District.
Stella Isodo and Anna Adeke Ebaju also won the Ngora and
Soroti Woman district seats respectively. This brings to six the number of FDC
candidates elected in Teso sub region in the just concluded polls. This is an improvement
from three in the 2016 General Elections.
Moses Atan Okia, the Soroti City East MP elect, says Patrick
Amuriat Oboi’s candidature in the presidential election boosted their support
in Teso. Amuriat hails from Teso sub region.
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Teddy Acham, the NRM Mobiliser in Teso, says FDC is gaining
strength due to the division among some party leaders in the sub region. Acham
cites the NRM Vice Chairperson for Eastern Region, Captain Mike Mukula as one
of the party leaders who was allegedly campaigning for some independent
parliamentary candidates giving chance to the opposition to win.
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However, during a
media briefing at his residence inSoroti, Mukula denied
supporting any independent candidates. Since 2006, FDC has been losing support
to NRM. In 2006, FDC snatched eleven out of 17 parliamentary seats and slots of
three District Chairpersons out of five in Teso Sub Region.
In the 2011 elections, FDC MPs were reduced to eight out of 21 parliamentary
seats. The number further reduced to only three in the 2016 elections.
Stephen Eligu
Freelancer