Not too long ago, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) was the strongest opposition party and the source of hope for offering alternative political leadership for Uganda.
But its future has been thrown into great uncerternity following the latest divisions aomgst its top leadership.
a
The worst part perhaps, surrounds allegations that those running the party have been receiving money from the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) to weaken the opposition party.
One of the factions, led by the Party’s spokesperson Ibrahim Ssemuju Nganda acuse the Party’s Secretary General Nandala Mafabi of receiving money from President Yoweri Museveni to weaken the party.
Mafabi’s factions deny the accusations and counter that Seemuju’s claims are not backed by any evidence and that they simply fear to lose in the Party’s forthcoming primaries.
The latest accusations are particularly damaging for FDC because they have undermined the independence of the party and have therefore tarnished the image of the party.
But Seemuju’s revelations that some people in FDC are working for Museveni are not entirely new. It may be recalled that President Museveni bragged sometime last year how he had a good working relationship with UPC, DP and FDC except NUP.
Former FDC presidential candidate Dr. Kizza Besigye and the current party president Patrick Oboi Amuriat on Wednesday confirmed during separate boress conferences that the party indeed received money from NRM although they declined to name the sources of the money. Amuriat said some of the money came from some business people while an unspecified amount came from government people whom he would not want to name for their own safety.
The fact however that the Party’s vice President at the time Joyce Nabbosa Seebugwawo crossed to the ruling party shortly after the 2021 elections, lends credence to Nganda that Nandala knowingly ate Museveni’s money.
The question in the discussion around different corners is will the current crisis make FDC stronger or even weaker.
There are no prizes for guessing tre outcome.
The sentiment of an NRM side-kick now established in the minds of the people, FDC will fight hard to convince the skeptical public that it is a true opposition.
This is a death nail in the coffin of the party.
