Several leaders of the Forum for Democratic Change, including Patrick Amuriat and Nandala Mafabi, who were suspended by the Wasswa Birigwa-led faction on Tuesday, have been nominated for the same positions at the party headquarters in Najjanankumbi.
On Tuesday, after the extraordinary national delegates conference called by party chairman Birigwa, a vote of no confidence and resolutions were carried to throw out Mr Amuriat and Mr Mafabi as president and secretary general, respectively.
Mr Geoffrey Ekanya and Mr Boniface Toterebuka Bamwenda were also kicked out as FDC treasurer general and elections chief, respectively.
Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago was then appointed replace Amuriat as interim president.
But on Thursday, 21 September 2023, Amuriat was duly nominated by the party’s Electoral Commission to defend his seat for the term 2023/28 while Mafabi was nominated to contest for his position of secretary general in the forthcoming party elections.
After his nomination, Mafabi said: “In FDC we believe in democracy, we do not believe in passing through windows.”
This was a veiled remark against Birigwa who was on Tuesday forced to scale a fence to the Katonga office for the delegates conference after being blocked by police.
Jack Sabiiti has been nominated to contest for the position of FDC national chairperson, which position is currently occupied by Ambassador Wasswa Birigwa.
Former Makindye East MP Ibrahim Kasozi Biribawa has been nominated to contest for FDC secretary for Organisation and Mobilisation.
On Wednesday, among the three people who picked nomination forms for the presidency were Mr Moses Byamugisha and Mr Malcolm Masiko. Mr Byamugisha was nominated on Wednesday.
Mr Byamugisha is a former FDC Youth League leader, while Mr Masiko is an ordinary party member. At the last election organised during the party’s 7th national delegates conference held on November 24, 2017 both men ran for president but lost to Mr Amuriat.
A total of 77 candidates have been officially nominated to compete for various positions within the NEC. While speaking to candidates at the end of the nominations day, Hon. Toterebuka Bamwenda, the Chief Electoral Commissioner of the party thanked all of them for stepping forward to seek leadership roles within the party.
The candidates will now embark on their campaigns, reaching out to delegates across the country. The elections for the NEC are scheduled to take place on October 6, 2023.
Three weeks ago, the faction fighting inside FDC escalated after two competing national delegates’ conferences were announced; one called by Mr Birigwa and the other by Mr Bawmenda on September 19 and October 6, respectively.
Under the party constitution, only the chairman is vested with the powers to convene a national delegates conference where NEC elections are scheduled.
