The National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate for Gogonyo County Parliamentary elections Joseph Okoboi Opolot has opted out of the race in favour of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate Derrick Orone.  

The decision effectively means only two candidates Orone and Isa Bantalib Taligola will now face off in the Gogonyo county by-election in Pallisa district due to take place on August 11, 2022.

Okoboi pulled out following a Sunday, August 7, 2022 meeting between him and the controversially elected Papa Paul Sande Emorot, the Emorimori of Iteso who announced it.

 “By virtue of the authority entrusted in me, I Papa Lo Iteso, the Emorimor of the Iteso Cultural Union, I have had cordial discussions with my son Opolot of Gogonyo Pallisa District on various matters of common interest pertaining to the unity of our people the Iteso and the country at large. Upon my advice and in the interest of our people and the unity of the region, he had agreed to step down and withdraw his candidature for any leadership role in Gogonyo,” the letter said.

Orone in an interview with the New Vision confirmed he had met Emolot

"Yes we met and I agreed to withdraw for the sake of unity of our people. I will inform my party about my decision," he said.

Last week, the Opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Party announced that they had withdrawn their candidate in the race and decided to rally behind the NUP candidate.

In a statement via their Twitter handle, the FDC party said they have deliberately withdrawn their candidate for Gogonyo county by-elections as a sign of solidarity with NUP.

The National Unity Platform had fronted Okoboi as the party’s flag bearer in the upcoming Gogonyo by-elections. Their support was based on the fact that NUP had supported FDC in the Soroti East by-election in which their candidate lost to the NRM.

“We wish to thank the NUP for the support and solidarity exhibited in the just concluded ‘by-election’ of Soroti East, which we strongly state that we won massively!

Therefore, following the collaboration between us and NUP, we have deliberately withdrawn our candidate to offer support to Opolot the NUP candidate in the Gogonyo county by-election in Pallisa district due to take place on 11th August 2022,” FDC said.

The Gogonyo County seat fell vacant after the court of appeal nullified Orone’s victory over election irregularities. The nullification was a result of an application filed by his political rival Taligola who garnered 6,280 votes against Orone’s who ran on the NRM party ticket and got 6, 314 votes.

The Court of Appeal Justices set aside the High Court decision and nullified Orone’s victory noting that they were satisfied with the evidence on the court record that Orone committed electoral offenses when he moved within the precincts of several polling stations with armed personnel and canvassed for votes.