Following a protracted meeting the President held with NRM aspirants on Tuesday evening at his country home in Rwakitura, Andrew Ojok is the flag bearer for the National Resistance Movement-NRM party in the Omoro County By-election.
Ojok, a son to former Speaker of Parliament Jacob L’Okori Oulanyah recently resigned his position working as a senior Information and Technology officer at the National Information Technology Authority-Uganda (NITA-U) for the past six years to take in the footsteps of his late father. Ojok, said he will not let his father’s legacy fall in the hands of others.
Ojok’s position was prompted by elders in his clan elders who asked him to vie for the Parliamentary seat in Omoro District.
However, he was faced with a stalemate of five other members from NRM who adamantly refused to step down for him to run solo. These include; Ben Acellam, Omoro District Chairperson Douglas Peter Okello, Francis Rwotlonyo, Richard Bongowat Luganya, and Andrew Olal.
Their refusal prompted the intervention of the NRM party chairman President Museveni who summoned all members to his residence for a mutual resolution.
President Museveni tasked the aspirants to enable Ojok finish the term his deceased father left in Parliament unopposed until 2026 when general elections happen.”You know if the principal has spoken, we can’t defy him as carders,” Museveni said
A source also intimated to the URN; “We were not forced, his reason was that Oulanyah had not finished his term and requested that if we accept his request, we allow Ojok to go unopposed but also if we see a problem with it, he will call for the primary election,
The family to the former speaker of parliament, earlier proposed that either a son to the deceased or a nephew vie for the position.
The electoral commission has set May 26 as the date for the by-election in Omoro County.
According to the Electoral Commission road map, the nomination of candidates will take place from May 12th to May 13, 2022, at Omoro District Council Hall. The campaigns will take place from May 16th- 24th, 2022.
Omoro County Parliamentary seat fell vacant following the death of former legislator Oulanyah on March 20 from a Hospital