Go hang! Tanga Odoi tells NRM historicals

By David Lumu

DR. Tanga Odoi, the chairperson of the NRM electoral commission has said that NRM historicals should ‘go and hang’.

Arguing that all NRM party members are equal, Odoi, who has of late courted controversy over his in-your-face approach, told journalists that the so-called historicals should emulate President Yoweri Museveni by obeying party rules instead of employing intimidation.

Odoi also urged them to emulate President Museveni, who he said, abides by the party rules.

“Those other so-called big people are not actually big. They just intimidate. If you are an NRM historical and you think you can intimidate or control people, go and hang. We are not going to be teased by people who think they have been in the party longer. In NRM we are all equal whether you joined in 1986 or today,” he told journalists during a press briefing at his office.

According to Tanga Odoi, the return of the nomination papers will be closed on Thursday (August 20) at 6pm.

It is expected that President Museveni will return the NRM nomination forms on Thursday.

“If the President is law abiding, which I think he is, he will surely come here to return the nomination papers,” Tanga Odoi said.

Tanga Odoi said that the party’s electoral commission would only relax the regulations for the independents who wish to join the party and aspirants for the newly created constituencies.

This week on Monday, NRM’s secretary general Justine Kasule Lumumba warned the staff, especially those of the electoral commission against abusing party members. 

“Stop that attitude of barking at members,” she said. 

In response, John Kigyagi Arimpa, the deputy chairperson of the NRM electoral commission apologised.

However, Tanga Odoi told journalists that he has no kind words for NRM members who think they own the party, warning that those who don’t obey the rules will be left out.