When the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party announced that it’s leader, Patrick Oboi Amuriat will be the flag bearer for next year’s presidential polls, many dismissed his chances and laughed off the party’s decision.
Uganda’s political bookmakers went into overdrive stating that POA as he is known, would not garner 1% when Ugandans go to the polls on January 14th 2021.
On the eve of the campaigns, many had already determined that the battle for the Uganda’s top job would be between President Yoweri Tibuhaburwa Kaguta Museveni and political novice, Kyadondo East lawmaker, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu aka Bobi Wine.
His dramatic nomination that saw the Electoral Commission (EC) confirm his participation at an event where he appeared barefoot, did little to convince skeptics that he could perform well in the polls.
Fast-forward to today, sources in the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party say POA who also uses the ‘villager’ moniker, is causing headache for their mobilisation teams in Teso sub region.
“We had written him off but it appears the man has strong foothold on Teso. The party now has to do double the effort in mobilising support for President Museveni,” a source in NRM intimated to us on condition of anonymity.
Last week, Museveni was in Teso sub-region galvanizing support for his candidature. POA was in the region before Museveni set camp in the area.
Teso sub-region (previously known as Teso District) is a sub-region in Eastern Region, Uganda that consists of: Amuria, Bukedea, Kaberamaido, Kapelebyong, Katakwi, Kumi districts. Others include; Ngora, Serere and Soroti.
“Villager” Amuriat whose political journey in Teso can be traced back to the 1996 when he acted as translator for Paul Kawanga Ssemwogerere who was challenging Museveni for the same position, has also been Member of Parliament.
Born in Soroti, POA was one of the founding members of the FDC, however, his participation in opposition can also be traced to organisations like Reform Agenda and Parliamentary Advocacy Forum, PAFO that paved the way for the formation of the FDC.
WHY TESO
Sources say the fact that POA hails from Teso is one of the reasons why he maintains a strong footprint on the region that has made it an uphill task for easy mobilisation of the NRM.
However, other political observers say POA’s political profile has allowed him to stamp authority on the region, making it easier for the FDC president to appeal to people in the area as opposed to if he were a newcomer.
“He is known in the region, having served as MP and more recently as the president of the FDC which has been going neck-to-neck with the NRM,” a source in the region told us.
In addition to his ‘home advantage,’ POA’s brand of politics has made him attractive in the area where Kizza Besigye enjoyed some support.
POA has stuck with Besigye and been a student of his activism politics now christened “defiance” through out the years. In fact, one of the reasons why he comfortably beat Mugisha Muntu to the FDC presidency was because he projected himself as a believer of the brand of “defiance” making him a sort of Besigye favourite in the party.
On Thursday, Besigye joined Amuriat in Hoima and it waits to be seen whether he can capitalise on the former FDC president to eat into Bobi Wine’s popularity across the country.
“Besigye could change Amuriat’s fortunes, first in strengthening places where he enjoys support and gaining more ground. As someone who has contested four times, Besigye comes with experience of what it takes to reach Ugandans in search for votes,” an FDC supporter told us.
In 2015, FDC deployed “The villager” as National Chief coordinator on the eve of the 2016 general elections, amking him conversant with the Ugandan political terrain.
However, it waits to be seen whether he will match President Museveni who has been in power for the last 34 years and who observers say will win the poll with a landslide.