A secret move by a section of Members of Parliament from the opposition led by the Uganda Peoples’ Congress (UPC) to disrupt the Oyam North by-election slated for Thursday, July 6, 2023, has leaked.
Four candidates, including Junior Samuel Engola of the NRM, Dr. Eunice Apio Otuko (UPC), Daniel Okello of the NUP, and Newton Okello of the Forum for Democratic Change party, are contesting to replace the late Minister Charles Okello Engola Macodwogo, who was killed by the bodyguard in May.
A source from Oyam has revealed that four UPC legislators, including Maxwell Akora of Maruzi County in Apac district, Jonathan Odur of Erute South in Lira district, and Bob Okae of Kwania County in Kwania District, under the command of UPC Party President and also MP for Lira City East, are mobilising radical youths to cause confusion and disrupt the elections.
The source further revealed that MP Odur has clandestinely mobilised over 200 notorious youths from Erute South and more than 160 from Oyam South, specifically from Loro and Kamdini town councils, and subsequently deployed them to Oyam North.
According to another source, MP Akora Maxwell, who has mobilised and heavily facilitated some 300 goons from Lira City (Ojwina, Junior Quarters, Railways, and Uhuru Bar areas), will be in charge of wreaking havoc and beating voters in Ngai and Abok Sub Counties.
MP Bob Okae, who will be in charge of Oyam town council, has mobilised and fronted about 280 goons whom he brought from Aduku town and some parts of Kwania.
The source also noted that MP Jimmy Akena, also the UPC party president, has deployed about 400 youths dressed in Yellow T-shirts in Aleka and Otwal Sub Counties with the intention to cause confusion and disrupt the polling process starting today at 2 p.m.
In a twist of events, recently, while appearing on NBS TV, UPC candidate Eunice Apio accused the NRM of planning to cause violence in the Oyam North by election. However, multiple sources from the Lango subregion have revealed that this has been the opposition strategy to win elections by using goons dressed in yellow T-shirts to disguise themselves as NRM cadres.
