Opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) flag bearer for presidency Dr Warren Kizza Besigye has been forced to abandon a meeting he was engaged in with officials of The Democratic Alliance.
According to sources, Besigye was called out of the meeting by his staunch supporters including MPs Geoffrey Ekanya, Odonga Otto and Hassan Kaps Fungaroo among others, and whisked away to the FDC party headquarters in Najjanankumbi, where he was asked to brief them on the developments at the TDA headquarters in Naguru.
This follows fears that the TDA has bent backwards and made decisions that seem to favour another opposition challenger, Amama Mbabazi.
Indeed, party theorists have hinted at money changing hands, allegedly to Dr Besigye’s detriment.
Mbabazi (Independent), Dr Besigye (FDC), former Vice President Prof. Gilbert Balibaseeka Bukenya (Independent) and Norbert Mao (Democratic Party) have been cleared by the TDA to contest for presidency under its banner, but by press time today it had emerged that Mbabazi and Dr Besigye were the choice contestants of members attending a retreat at the Silver Springs hotel in Bugolobi, a Kampala plush suburb.
Prof. Bukenya, a former Vice President, Mbabazi, a former Prime Minister and Secretary General of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), and Dr Besigye have their political roots partially attached to the ruling party, but while Mbabazi joined the opposition TDA recently, after the summit members endorsed his candidature last week, while Dr Besigye has opposed the current government under President Yoweri Museveni since 1999.
Besigye has also run for presidency against Museveni three times, losing in the three elections, albeit with him claiming the elections were not free and fair or rigged for that matter. For Prof Bukenya, he fell out with the ruling NRM in 2011.
Meanwhile, the TDA is set to announce the joint opposition flag bearer tomorrow, amid speculation that Mbabazi has emerged the choice candidate of the loose alliance that seeks to end Museveni’s nearly 30-year presidency.
