The former presidntial candidate who doubles as the party president for FDC Parick Amuriat Oboi, has started to speal the beans against his former boss Dr Kiiza Warren Besigye when he revealed that he was summoned together with Nathan Nandala Mafabi the party Secretary General and Joyce Nabbosa Ssebugwawo the former party vice president in charge of Buganda for an emergency meeting and because of the respect they have for him, they all attended the meeting.
The president of Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Najjanankumbi function Patrick Amuriat Oboi has narrated how four times presidential candidate Dr. Kizza Besigye threatened him hence forcing him to meet National Unity Platform(NUP) president Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (Bobi Wine) before the 2021 general elections.
In the meeting, Amuriat claims that Besigye told them that he had made a political calculation by then and discovered that the only person who can bring political change in Uganda and overthrow Museveni’s government is Bobi Wine.
He added that Besigye told them that FDC has to work with Bobi Wine and use his political base which is full of youths to force Museveni out of power.
Amuriat disclosed that he did not allow them to give their side of the story.
“Let me speak about this for the first time, Dr. Besigye told us that his proposal is not negotiable and we should follow what he was telling us to do. My friend Nandala Mafabi protested but Besigye told him that he does not care about his protest and if he declines to meet Bobi Wine, it is going to be the end of his cooperation with him,” Amuriat said.
He further revealed that the meeting took place at Nabbosa’s home.
Amuriat added that he pleaded with a furious Nandala to join themand they meet Bobi Wine as Besigye had asked them but he refused arguing that Besigye wanted to sell their party to Bobi Wine.
Amuriat said that because of the respect he had for Besigye, he decided to meet Bobi Wine who also came at Nabbosa’s home.
During the meeting, Besigye repeated his political calculations asking Bobi Wine to feel free and work with FDC which Bobi Wine accepted.
However, he asked Amuriat why he was silent for the entire one and half hours without submitting anything or telling them whether he and his party were ready to work together.
He told them that since he is just a president of the party, he needs time to consult his party leadership.
He said that when he told other party members of what had happened in the meeting, they all advised him to concentrate on planning for his party because they were going to field a presidential candidate in the 2021 presidential race.
“I was not surprised when Besigye, the person I campaigned for all the four times he stood for presidency and even lost my parliamentary seat refused to campaign for me in 2021,” Amuriat said.
When I went to campaign in Kira municipality, our former party spokesperson Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda hid from me. Kampala Lord Mayor Ssalongo Erias Lukwago also did the same thing. I was told that they hid because they feared to associate with me to annoy Bobi Wine,” Amuriat added.
He confirmed that he felt betrayed by his party members who decided to hide from him at the time when he needed them most.
He further said that they openly welcomed Lukwago with open hands after he assured them that he was coming to their party with over 100,000 supporters from Kampala city and Buganda region and it was on this basis that they appointed him the national vice chairperson in charge of Buganda replacing Nabbosa who had joined NRM government as a minister.
“Some of our members were scared with Lukwago’s coming to our party. They warned me that he was bringing trouble. But I don’t listen to them because it was a small issue. Little did I know that the man was coming to weaken our party,” Amuriat said.
However, in defence, Ssemujju said that Amuriat threatened his political victory when he decided to drive him to the nomination place at Kyambogo knowing well that his voters were supporting Bobi Wine and didn’t vote for any candidate associated with other presidential candidates.
“People all the way were laughing at me asking what thing I was driving but I stood my ground for the good of my people. Even at the polling station, only me and my wife Faridah were the only ones who voted for Amuriat,” Ssemujju said.
He added that all their troubles with Amuriat and Nandala started from the dirty money he claims they picked from President Museveni to fight Bobi Wine in the 2021 general elections which Amuriat denied.
Ssemujju and other FDC members at Katonga faction are currently on countrywide tours consulting their party members on the way forward after disagreeing with Amuriat’s Najjanankumbi faction.
Chances are very high that Katonga function is going to establish a new political party which they plan to use as a vehicle during the coming 2026 general elections.
