Verdict doesn't affect my new term - Akena

COURT|POLITICS|UPC

KAMPALA - Lira Municipality MP James Akena has said the Court of Appeal verdict does not affect his new term as Uganda People's Congress (UPC) party president.

He said the verdict was overtaken by events because it is about his first term of office which expired on June 31, this year.

"The judgment has been overtaken by events and does not affect my new term as party president because it has got nothing to do with my new term," Akena told journalists at the party head offices in Kampala, yesterday.

On August 1, Akena was re-elected for the second term during a party delegates' conference at Kasangati Resort Hotel in Wakiso district.

He said the matter began before he assumed office, but got involved in it because he stood to suffer the consequences of its outcome.

"The late Joseph Bossa sued UPC under Dr Olara Otunnu's leadership but did not enter a defence on behalf of the party. It was only after my election that I filed the defence for I was going to be most affected as I had campaigned across the country and received overwhelming support," he said.

He also decried some of the party members, who he said have perfected the art of manipulating the court process to ruin the party.

On Monday, a panel of three judges concurred with High Court judge Yasin Nyanzi's decision that Akena's becoming party president in 2015 was illegal because it was not done in conformity with the party constitution.

Justices Irene Mulyagonja, Elizabeth Musoke and Christopher Madrama unanimously ruled that the party's electoral commission illegally declared Akena president in 2015, since the delegates' conference which elected him was not properly constituted.

In 2015, Nyanzi declared Akena's presidency illegal following a suit by Bossa. Akena's group, however, petitioned the Court of Appeal seeking to have the decision overturned but in vain.

In a latest development, Walubiri who claims to be the legitimate party leader, has written to the Electoral Commission (EC) and Police to accord his group their purported rightful place to conduct party business without interference.

He argues that the appeal court's ruling makes him the legitimate party leader having assumed the same from Bossa who replaced Otunnu.

We advise the public, government institutions and members of the diplomatic missions to desist from conducting UPC business with Akena," he said.

Yesterday, Akena said the party's new leadership has already completed the process of establishing itself within the law and their focus is now centred at rebuilding the party.

"UPC is not a party which exists in court. One to stand for elections and it is not in dispute that I was elected by the majority, 67 of the 106 districts,"Akena said.

Asked whether they intend to appeal the decision, Akena said: "As of now, we are still studying it but we are not in a hurry to appeal because it deals with the 2015 term which has since ended."