NUP fails to field candidate to replace Gen. Ali for Adjumani West
“NUP will not field a candidate in Adjumani not because we don’t have one, but because we will stand behind the independent candidate who shares our values and principles,” NUP Secretary General, David Lewis Rubongoya, said.
The National Unity Platform (NUP) party Secretary General, David Lewis Rubongoya addressing the press conference at NUP party headquarters in Makerere-Kavule, Kampala on Thursday August 27, 2026. (Credit: Isaac Nuwagaba)
ADJUMANI - The National Unity Platform (NUP) has failed to field a candidate to replace former Second Deputy Prime Minister, Gen. Moses Ali, for Adjumani West Constituency in Adjumani district, leaving the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) government with an early advantage ahead of the historic by-election.
The seat, considered a historical stronghold for NRM due to Gen. Ali’s personal influence and the district’s heavy presence of security and veteran voters, was seen by NUP supporters in the West Nile sub-region as a potential breakthrough area for the mushrooming NUP.
The Electoral Commission (EC) scheduled September 17, 2026, as the polling day for the Adjumani West parliamentary by-election to fill the seat left vacant following the death of Gen. Ali, who passed away on Saturday, 18 July 2026.
However, the largest opposition party has failed to select its flagbearer to compete with over 9 candidates in the region on NRM ticket and independents who have shown interest in replacing Gen. Ali, who has been at the helm of leadership for more than three decades.
“NUP will not field a candidate in Adjumani not because we don’t have one, but because we will stand behind the independent candidate who shares our values and principles,” NUP Secretary General, David Lewis Rubongoya, said.
“We shall support the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) leaning independent candidate Patrick Tandrupasi, the former Deputy Secretary in charge of Transport and Communication, because he staged a fierce contest with fallen Gen. Ali despite the intimidation and harassment by the military in the recently concluded 2026 general elections,” Rubongoya added.
Rubongoya accused Government of using security forces to instil fear among the electorate, warning that such actions could discourage citizen participation in the electoral process in the future.
NUP acting President, John Baptist Nambeshe, decried the manner in which opposition supporters are arrested in the country, saying that it has been used as a tool to scare away political opponents.
"The government has been dodging the legal concerns of all political prisoners with legal jargon to deny those with cases a fair trial in the courts of law."
There has been a lot of negative speculation, accusations, and attacks that we are not supporting the candidature of Ugandan ambassador Olara Otunnu for United Nations Secretary General position is not true.
One of the former aspirants, John Maiku, who had been mobilising on the ground under NUP, reportedly crossed to the FDC at the last minute, while the other, Dominic Lagu, withdrew citing intimidation and lack of support from the party headquarters in Kampala.
“Our ground was strong but organising in Adjumani West is very different. We have serious logistical challenges; the NRM structure there is very entrenched because of former Gen. Ali NRM supporters and our candidates. We tried, but we could not get someone to stand,” Maiku added.
Political analyst Dr. Patrick Andi says NUP’s failure to field a candidate in Adjumani West exposes its organisational gaps in West Nile, a region dominated by NRM and where NUP has struggled to build structures since 2021.
“In 2021, NUP got less than 15% of the presidential vote in Adjumani and won no parliamentary seat in the district. Most of its support is concentrated in Arua City and some trading centres,” Andi observed.
Among the candidates who have expressed their interest are Anyama Ben, Owole Nixon, Leku James Pilli, Mawadri Justine, Obuni Richard Madrara and the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) civic organisation candidate Daniel Izale.
Gen. Ali served as MP for East Moyo County between 1994 and 2016, Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Minister for Internal Affairs, Minister for Tourism, Trade and Industry, among other portfolios.