By Aggrey Baba
The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) is headed for a major decision this week as party president Patrick Oboi Amuriat faces off with his secretary general Nathan Nandala Mafabi in a tight and highly anticipated election.
The vote, which will be decided by more than 2,000 delegates during the FDC National Delegates Conference on July 31, comes after months of intense internal campaigning. But what has worried many inside and outside the party is not just who will win, but whether the contest will leave the party more divided than before.
Efforts by FDC elders, cultural and religious leaders to get the two men to agree on a single candidate failed during a meeting earlier this month in Mbale. The goal was to avoid a divisive election, but instead, the discussions ended in disagreement.
Speaking at the party headquarters in Najjanankumbi recently, the Najjanankumbi-bassed political outfit’s spokesperson John Kikonyogo confirmed that talks are still ongoing, but warned that the party must learn from its past.
He said previous internal elections in FDC have led to splits, defections, and the formation of breakaway groups, weakening the party in national politics.
In 2018, a leadership dispute led to the formation of the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) by former FDC president Mugisha Muntu, while later, ahead of the 2021 general elections, another group led by Dr. Kizza Besigye left to form the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF). Both breakaways affected FDC’s national strength.
Kikonyogo said the party is still trying to bring the two top leaders together through another meeting involving over 60 party representatives from 21 sub-regions, while the party’s top executive committee is expected to meet tomorrow (July 30) to finalise the conference agenda and budget.
If no agreement is reached, the election will go on as planned, and the winning candidate will serve as FDC party president for five years, although that doesn’t automatically make them the party’s presidential flagbearer for the 2026 elections.
So far, both Amuriat and Mafabi have strong support within different parts of the party. But there are fears that whoever loses may feel sidelined, and that could lead to another break in the party.
Kikonyogo, however, remained hopeful, saying the party is determined to remain united this time around. But as the delegates prepare to vote, all eyes will be on whether FDC can hold together through the outcome, or if another internal storm is on the way. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
