The Forum for democratic Change (FDC) party president Patrick Amuriat has revealed that the Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago is not a member of the Najjanankumbi based party.
Amuriat’s statement follows the ongoing fist fight in the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party. Kiiza Besigye accuses the party president Patrick Amuriat and the Secretary General Nandala Mafabi of soliciting money from the ruling party, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) to finance his campaigns.
The severing relations between the two FDC factions comes after a series of challenges that the FDC has faced managing two centers of power (Katonga and Najjankumbi), which have conflicted since 2018 leading to total misunderstanding immediately before, during, and after the 2021 general elections.
The party has experienced internal conflicts accompanied by allegations and counter accusations that have contributed to considerable turmoil within its ranks, with resultant negative publicity of the party in the media.
“I have checked with the FDC register starting from the area where he stays and he is not in the party register. Lukwago is not a member of the FDC and therefore he doesn’t qualify to stand for any position in the party,” he said.
Amuria said whatever Ssemujju Nganda and Erias Lukwago are doing elsewhere is merely for self-contentment duping the unsuspecting public. We don’t need Ssemujju and his group. They are at liberty to join NUP or start their own party. There’s only one FDC and that’s Najjanankumbi.
“Our business is restricted to corporate, life and other members who are up to date with their membership. We have no responsibility for people who do not belong to FDC. We are asking them to be decent enough, not to misrepresent the FDC,” he said.
He said all individuals whose membership expires every year and has not renewed it, by registering in their village registers, they can only be supporters and sympathizers are not members.
According to Amuriat some members of the FDC chose a hostile stance against their own party in complete contravention of article 12 of the party constitution. They have, for example, continued to poster as the legitimate leaders of the party, which matter was settled on the sixth October 6, 2023 National Delegates Conference with the election and swearing in of new leaders.
He said they continue to issue illegal notices using FDC headed paper. Use symbols to snow bags and colors and continue to brand themselves as such and also abuse party documents during unauthorized meetings.
“FDC leadership is not going to tolerate double or divided loyalty. Our members have got a choice to be where the FDC is led or go elsewhere they feel comfortable. No member has been conscripted into this FDC; every member comes voluntarily,” he said.