NUP to Back FDC Candidate in Soroti East By-Election

The National Unity Platform-NUP, will not field a candidate in the Soroti City East Parliamentary By-election. The position became vacant after the Court of Appeal nullified the victory of the Forum for Democratic Change’s Moses Attan.

In May the Court ruled that it was convinced that the Electoral Commission failed to conduct free and fair elections after it irregularly transferred Opiyai and Aloet wards from Soroti East to Soroti West after the nomination of the candidates, which disfranchised over 4,560 voters. 

Speaking to reporters in Kampala on Thursday, David Lewis Rubonogaya, NUP Secretary-General said in the spirit of working together as the opposition, they agreed to support Attan to reclaim his seat.   //Cue in…the National Unity…

Cue out… that particular constituency,”//  Luganda  

Cue in…MP abaddeyo 

Cue out…nga principle yaffe,”//

John Baptist Nambeshe, NUP’s Vice President for Eastern Uganda who also doubles as the Opposition Chief Whip said the reason, they are supporting Attan is not because they lacked a viable candidate but rather, they wanted to demonstrate that when the opposition works together, they can achieve a lot.

He called upon the FDC to support NUP candidates in Gogonyo County and Busongora South; all of which fell vacant after their former MPs’ victories were nullified by the Court of Appeal.

 //Cue in…it’s not that

 Cue out… to scratch yours,”//  

In the 2021 general elections, Attan defeated Herbert Edmond Ariko a former FDC member who stood as an independent with 7,606 votes against 7,167. The NUP candidate Emachu Arnold managed only 86 votes.

In the by-election, Ariko will contest as an NRM candidate having crossed over to the ruling party where he was nominated unopposed. Before crossing to NRM, Ariko has been Speaker of Parliament Anita Annet Among’s Principal Private Secretary.  

Meanwhile, in Gogonyo County in Pallisa district, NUP has nominated Okoboi Joseph Opolot as their flagbearer while Jackson Mbaju who recently crossed from FDC to NUP has been nominated as the party’s flagbearer for Busongora County South in Kasese district. 

In a related development NUP also announced that it had nominated Lawrence Arionze as the party flag-bearer for Makerere University Guild President.