Over 700 defect from opposition, says Nebbi NRM office

NEBBI - The NRM Party in Nebbi district on Tuesday reported receiving over 700 people who reportedly defected from the opposition parties, mainly from the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and National Unity Platform (NUP).

District councillors, LC1 Chairpersons and different people vying for different political offices are among the "converts".

Some of the converts are George Othuba and Irene Bithola vying for LC5 and Woman MP, Nebbi district, respectively.

The state minister of mineral development, Phiona Nyamutoro, hailed the converts for joining the NRM party for their right choices.

I'm here so that I can take you through the party ideology so that in the next five years you are a totally different person than when you joined the party, so that you continue to impact your life in different ways,” she said. 

NRM chairperson George Kermundu Adubango, commonly known as KG, said that, "Nebbi, one of the opposition strongholds, has been dismantled. The district is now painted yellow."

The RDC Nebbi Robert Abak also revealed that close to 140 converts also abandoned the opposition last year.

“This is not the first time we are receiving converts, just last year we received some of them and they easily gave in to our party principles because they thought they were wasting their own resources and in the end they were doing nothing," he said.

Without showing his party card,  Gerald Opio said he has been in FDC, but the party failed to win.

“Why do we support a party that never wins an election in the district? It's better we join the winning team, and also with the increasing division in the party, it makes no sense to continue supporting such a party," he said.

Faith Ajolorwoth said she is joining NRM  because the government under Yoweri Museveni has constructed roads. He has hope that the next plan for infrastructure in the area will include the hospital soon.

The Head RDCs secretariat /Anti-corruption unit at the President’s office, Major Martha Assimwe, hailed the district leadership for changing the narrative and urged them to continue with the President’s message of income alleviation by involvement in income-generating activities.

“The President has given out PDM and other government programs like Emyooga, Grow among others, which are helping to grow the livelihoods of Ugandans in the money economy”, she said.