The Go-Forward pressure group spearheading the campaign of presidential candidate, Amama Mbabazi has down played allegations of their supporters’ defection to the National Resistance Movement.
“NRM is under pressure to remain relevant in this campaign and political tricks are also allowed, but this particular one of hundreds of supporters abandoning us, surfaces with a lot of contradictions, which means it was stage managed,” Saddam Gayira, the spokesperson of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) told journalists on Wednesday.
PPP founded by former presidential candidate Jaberi Bidandi Ssali, is among the Opposition political parties under The Democratic Alliance (TDA) group supporting Mbabazi’s candidature.
Gayira also noted that earlier the NRM tried to brush off Mbabazi’s presidential bid as one that had no supporters except his wife and close relatives, but after pulling mammoth crowds, they are changing tactic to demoralise his supporters.
“At first they said Mbabazi has no supporters. Now they are saying that his supporters are abandoning him; so what’s the truth? Don’t you realise that these defection claims present serious contradictions?” Gayira who was flanked by former ambassador to US Edith Ssempala and Gilbert Lukyamuzi wondered.
Last week, a group of over 100 officials who claimed to have been Mbabazi’s supporters defected to the ruling NRM.
The group was led by Ronald Tumwine Ssekitoleko who was earlier sacked from Mbabazi camp for allegedly spying for the NRM. The NRM deputy spokesman Ofwono Opondo scoffed at Mbabazi team arguing that they have no monopoly over supporters.
“In their minds, Mbabazi has the capacity to attract defectors from NRM but the President who has delivered services and campaigned vigorously has no ability to woo Go-Forward supporters?” Opondo wondered.
Gayira admitted that Ssekitoleko was working with them.
“Tumwine was part of us but not in a way he was portrayed. He was our mobiliser like millions of other Ugandans out there but he did not head any substantive department so his defection will be of no consequence,” he said.
Sekitoleko claimed he was Mbabazi’s head of field operation and regional committees Gayira alleged that as Mbabazi kicks off his campaign in western Uganda in the districts of Mbarara, Rukungiri and Ntungamo, they have learnt of a plan by some NRM officials to disrupt their rallies.
But Opondo dismissed the allegations.
