About a dozen former NUP leaders-eight parliamentary candidates and five local government candidates- who withdrew from the 2026 political race just a few days to the polls to allow NRM and President Museveni sweep Lango sub-region with a landslide victory are bitter and they claim have been betrayed by the NRM leaders.
The defectors agreed to abandon NUP on condition that the NRM Chairman and President-elect Yoweri Museveni compensates them financially, rewards them juicy government jobs and provides them with security for personal protection.
The former NUP parliamentary candidates include; Ebyeru Geoffrey (Dokolo North), Omang Emmanuel (Kole South), Odongo David (Oyam North), Onyum Denis (Kioga County), Otum Maxwell (Otuke) and Atim Juliet (Lira District).
However, since their defection the group claims it has been blocked by the senior NRM leaders from meeting President Museveni, and consequently their conditions for their defection have been ignored.
According to Mr Ongwech Moses, a veteran NRM political mobilizer in Lango, who masterminded the defection, the NUP group met the NRM Vice Chairman, Al Hajji Moses Kigongo, the Vice Chirmn-Northern Uganda, Hon Hamson Obua, the Secretary General, Rt Hon Richard Todwong, the Parliament Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa, the NRM Chairperson of Women’s League, Aldrine Kobusingye, and the NRM Spokesperson, Emmanuel Dombo, to arrange for a meeting with President Museveni in vain.
“We have been tossed up and down by these people (NRM leaders). Instead, the Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa, hijacked our initiative and paraded some of the defectors at his campaign rally claiming he was the one that converted these people. It is very absurd,” says Mr Ongwech during his press conference on Monday March 16, 2026 at Grand Imperil Hotel in Kampala.
Mr Ongwech claims that defectors are being targeted by NUP soldiers to be harmed for defecting. “Some of these NUP people have even run way from their work places in Kampala for fear of being harmed by the NUP foot soldiers. They are in hiding,” he said.
He added that should they fail to meet President Museveni to resolve their issues they intend to reorganize and reconcile with the NUP leadership and ally with Hon Jimmy ken, the former UPC president to mobilize for the opposition camp in preparation for the 2031 general elections.
Historically, the Lango sub region was considered an opposition stronghold particularly for the UPC. However, recent political changes indicate a significant realignment, with the ruling NRM party registering a very strong performance in the 2026 general elections, weakening that traditional opposition base.
