The point of no return: FDC’s evolution and path 

On Friday, October 6, at the Patidar Samaj Sports ground in Kololo, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) — Uganda’s leading opposition political party for nearly two decades — officially split.

The National Delegates’ Conference of the Najjanankumbi faction, led by Deputy National Chairman Kibuuka Mukalazi, saw the election of the National Executive Committee. Eng Patrick Oboi Amuriat and Nathan Nandala-Mafabi were re-elected as party president and secretary general, respectively.

Earlier, on September 19, an extraordinary delegates’ conference chaired by the party National Chairman Wasswa Birigwa established an interim leadership with Erias Lukwago as president. This leadership was set to serve for six months, during which they would regain control of the party from some members at Najjanankumbi and also facilitate a democratic election for the party’s substantive NEC membership.

Boniface Toterebuka Bamwenda, the FDC chief of the Electoral Commission based in Najjanankumbi, stated that 1,143 delegates attended the conference, with the Bugisu region providing the largest block of voters. Although there were 58 NEC positions available, 79 candidates were nominated. Of these, 38 were unopposed, leaving 41 to contest the ballot.

There were differing accounts concerning the party’s management. A primary concern that the FDC Katonga faction raised against the Najjanankumbi group was alleged mismanagement, including claims of receiving funds from President Yoweri Museveni. Nandala was accused of introducing “dirty money” into the party in 2020.

He, along with party president Eng. Amuriat, was alleged to have misused these funds during the 2021 campaign. Typically, such concerns would be addressed during a delegates’ conference. According to the program provided to the delegates, they were expected to receive and discuss reports from party president Patrick Amuriat, Secretary General Nathan Nandala-Mafabi and Treasurer General Geoffrey Ekanya.

However, one delegate, Moses Attan, former MP for Soroti, suggested postponing the report discussions so the conference could prioritize the elections. Moses Okwera from Nakawa seconded this proposal. When put to a vote, 916 were in favor, 19 against, and 19 abstained. On Friday, October 6, at the Patidar Samaj Sports ground in Kololo, the unmistakable presence of Secretary General Nathan Nandala-Mafabi dominated the day.

Throughout the event, Nandala was surrounded by a recently appointed security detail of robust young men. They were only momentarily absent when he took a seat. At one point, after a press interview, Nandala had to intercede when one of his security detail tried to prevent a female reporter from speaking with him privately.

“Okay, okay, let me first talk to the lady in private. Fine,” Nandala interjected.

As the day unfolded, Nandala took a moment to address the members about the current status of their party, aiming to prevent the spread of rumors. He assured members that he held the title for the FDC headquarters in Najjanankumbi. Instead of the initially planned eight- minute address, Nandala spoke for over 20 minutes.

He took the opportunity to express his gratitude to loyal FDC members and criticized the FDC Katonga faction. He used an analogy to describe the Katonga faction’s actions, likening them to individuals who secretly reverse the party’s progress. He also touched on past promises made by Ambassador Birigwa regarding the construction of an FDC tower, questioning the absence of any tangible progress since the commitment was made.

Nandala revealed that he had learned about a plot to prevent the elections months ago and had subsequently taken proactive steps. This included traveling personally to Nairobi to obtain the necessary signatures from the party’s deputy, Kibuuka Mukalazi, to move forward with the conference.

A point of contention arose when FDC Katonga claimed that Kibuuka couldn’t have signed the documents as he was in Nairobi for health reasons during that time. Nandala countered this by stating that he had personally traveled to Nairobi to get Kibuuka’s signature. In a surprising move, Nandala used the conference to address another opposing voice in the FDC, the Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda.

After some internal disagreements and procedural issues, the delegates’ conference voted on the matter of party leadership. Mawokota South MP Yusuf Nsibambi was favored by the majority, with 965 delegates supporting Nsibambi’s appointment as party whip in parliament, eight opposing, and nine abstaining. Nandala concluded by stating his intent to immediately communicate the decision of the national delegates’ conference to the speaker.

Ahead of the delegates’ conference, candidates amped up their campaigns, with activities peaking on Thursday and Friday. Similar to numerous elections in Uganda, there were reports of money changing hands. Candidates like Treasurer General Geoffrey Ekanya and Ibrahim Kasozi, who vied for the position of Secretary for Organization and Mobilization, reportedly arranged accommodation for voters, especially those from the East and West.

Ekanya allegedly arranged transportation from overnight accommodations to the conference venue and deployed agents to ensure that delegates stayed loyal. Some candidates’ representatives were seen distributing incentives, such as money, branded T-shirts and water, to woo the delegates.

Before the voting commenced, each candidate had an opportunity to address the attendees. While contenders for the position of party president were allocated five minutes each, other candidates received two minutes.

However, a point of contention arose when the meeting chairman granted Eng. Patrick Amuriat, the current party president, an additional chance to speak. Moses Byamugisha, who was running against Amuriat, subtly highlighted this apparent favoritism during his speech.

“Ahhh, politics. Did you notice how my colleague was using his time here?” remarked Byamugisha.

He emphasized that, if elected as party president, he would focus on reconciling the party members. Amuriat, during his campaign address, drew attention to his role as the FDC presidential candidate in the 2021 general elections. He highlighted the challenges of his run, noting that key figures like Dr Kizza Besigye did not support his campaign. Amuriat emphasized his collaborative efforts with Nandala to “defend” the FDC.

“I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to my comrade Nathan Nandala-Mafabi, who stood by me during challenging times. Nowadays, whenever there’s an accusation within the FDC, it invariably involves Nandala and me. We’ve always supported one another. When there were attempts to seize control of our party underhandedly, we stood firm, vowing to defend the FDC with our lives,” Amuriat stated.

TENSIONS FLARE AT FDC DELEGATES’ CONFERENCE

The FDC delegates’ conference was not without its share of drama. As night fell, Chief Electoral Commissioner Toterebuka and his team began tallying and announcing the vote results. While initial declarations proceeded without incident, tension arose during the announcement of the results for the position of secretary for Organization and Mobilization.

After Toterebuka announced that Ajuna Daka had secured 623 votes compared to Ibrahim Kasozi’s 354, a protestor burst onto the scene.

“What you’re announcing is fiction!” he shouted in Luganda, before wresting the microphone from Toterebuka and hurling it at another member of the FDC Electoral Commission, identified as Augustine Ojobire.

In the ensuing chaos, Toterebuka was hurriedly escorted to safety. The stage became a maelstrom of angry individuals pushing and arguing. After roughly five minutes, security forces from the Police Field Force Unit intervened. Toterebuka, under the protection of uniformed personnel, resumed announcing the results. Daka, despite the tumult, returned to the stage and was officially declared the winner of his contested position.

The disruption seemed to stem from dissatisfaction over the outcomes for Kasozi and Walid Lubega, who lost his bid for the position of Deputy Secretary for Mobilization. The discourse quickly turned tribal, with some questioning the apparent electoral disadvantage of candidates from the Buganda region.

FDC OPERATING “ON THREE WHEELS”

As the event continued, those candidates who were unsuccessful but wished to speak were invited to make concession speeches. Judith Franca Akello, who ran against Geoffrey Ekanya for the position of Treasurer General, was the first to address the audience.

While she acknowledged the legitimacy of the election results and congratulated Ekanya, she made a pointed remark about the current state of FDC.

“A car operates on four wheels. But FDC is now functioning on just three,” Akello stated.

She emphasized that while Northern Uganda has always supported FDC, the region would now reassess its relationship with the party. During the campaign leading up to the conference, rumors circulated suggesting Akello was double-dealing between both the Najjanankumbi and Katonga factions. In her speech, she firmly pledged her allegiance to the FDC, dismissing any affiliation with FDC Katonga.

A PLEA FOR UNITY AND RECONCILIATION

During the party deliberations, the call for unity and reconciliation within the party was evident. Moses Mugisha, during his presidential campaign, emphasized the need for reconciliation, suggesting a proactive outreach to Dr Kizza Besigye, among others, to mend the rifts within the party.

Additionally, Dr Frank Nabwiso, a respected elder in the party, in his keynote address, echoed similar sentiments. He urged party members to seek common ground and re-establish ties with the Katonga faction. However, it remains to be seen if key figures like Nandala and Amuriat will heed this call, as they have so far shown little inclination towards reconciliation.

The newly elected FDC NEC members will serve their roles until October 2028.

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