3 NRM aspirants express interest in Oyam North MP seat
Bonny Otim Ogwal and Denis Okello (editor@vol.co.ug)
Kampala.
Three aspirants have so far expressed interest to scramble for the ruling National Resistance Movement Party’s flag in the Oyam North By-election to replace the fallen Okello Engola Macodwogo.
The seat felt vacant on the 2nd of May 2023 following the brutal killing of former MP Col (rtd) Charles Patrick Okello Engola Macodwogo by his body guard Private Wilson Sabiti.
The aspirants who by close of business Wednesday had picked nomination forms from the NRM party headquarters include the son of the deceased MP, Samuel Engola Okello, former NRM vice chairperson for entrepreneurs league Willy Omodo Omodo and former Uganda’s high commissioner to Pretoria and London Amb Julius Peter Moto.
Samuel Engola Okello.
He first came into the political limelight at his campus days when he won by a land slide margin, guild presidential elections at Uganda Technical College Lira. Okello also served as a district councilor at Oyam District, a position his proponents say helped to foster service delivery to his constituents.
Okello is the youngest aspirant in this byelection.
Willy Omodo Omodo.
Omodo is not new to the political arena, in his youthful days,he was a key mobilizer for the NRM party in Lira. He also contested for the NRM party flag in the Oyam North parliamentary elections with Okello Engola Macodowogo in 2016 before relocating his political base to Lira City to contest for the converted position of the City Mayor.
Amb Julius Peter Moto.
Moto is one of Uganda’s renowned diplomat having won prestigious awards as Uganda’s best performing ambassador.
As Uganda’s High Commissioner to Pretoria, Moto wooed many South African investors to come to Uganda, something that earned him another tour of duty in the UK.
Speaking to Voice of Lango after expressing his interest, Willy Omodo Omodo said he will now embark on serious mobilization as the door has been opened for him by the part’s electoral body.
Attempts to get comments from Engola Okello Junior and Amb Julius Peter Moto were futile as the duo didn’t pick our repeated calls.
Dr Tanga Doi’s led NRM electoral commission announced for the expression of interest from aspirants seeking to contest in the party primary election to represent the party as flag bearers for Oyam North by election on the 22nd of May, an exercise which will run upto 29th of May 2023.
The NRM party electoral commission chairperson Dr. Tanga Odoi in his Monday letter, quotes NRM constitution Article 39(10) (a) which allows the party conduct party primary elections for candidates to hold the party flag and the process will be conducted at the NRM electoral commission offices, plot 13, Kyadondo road, Nakasero.
Odoi said the electoral guidelines require interested people to be aged 18 and above, a member of the NRM, and with senior four or six academic qualification.
Tanga Odoi, said the candidates should not be a civil servant, a police, UPDF or prison officer or a cultural leader.
The electoral commission has set 6th of July 2023 as the date in which the Oyam North by election will be held.
According to the electoral commission chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama Mugenyi the by-election will cost the electoral body 900 Million shillings.
