The Chairman of the National Resistance Movement- NRM Electoral Commission, Dr Tanga Odoi has said that his party lost the bid in Serere By-election because of internal bickering.
Speaking shortly after the declaration of Emmanuel Omoding, an independent candidate as the newly elected Member of Parliament for Serere County by the electoral commission, Odoi said that the loss is a lesson to the party to organize better in the future.
The division in the NRM party started in 2020 after the party primaries which saw Phillip Oucor win the party flag after beating Patrick Okabe, now deceased. Okabe, like his son, defeated the flag bearer in the final election.
However, there was more division within the NRM, especially after the NRM top leaders in Teso and across the country fronted Omoding as the replacement for his late father.
The proponents of Omoding’s candidature envisaged to back him under the NRM but the decision was challenged with the provisions of the law under the NRM Constitution. This forced Omoding to contest under the Independent ticket.
During campaigns, Omoding’s camp was seen with independent MPs and other leaders in Teso while the flag bearer was sidelined by the majority of the NRM structures in the district and the region.
Even when President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and the chairman of the NRM party came to campaign for the flag bearer, only a section of NRM leaders were in attendance in the two rallies organized in Ocaapa and Serere town councils.
After winning the elections, Omoding said that he will try his best to unite the warring factions by bringing on board his contenders.
While addressing stakeholders prior to the declaration of results, the EC Chairperson, Justice Simon Byabakama urged the victor of the race to consider building peace and unity in Serere.