The sitting members of the Executive of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Party in Acholi Sub-region have been asked to welcome and embrace the mass exodus of opposition members joining the NRM party.
This call was made by Mr. Acellam Ben, the aspiring Member of Parliament for Omoro County, who is also the spokesperson and Senior NRM mobilizer for Omoro District.
Acellam, who was addressing members of the media at the Northern Uganda Media Club on Wednesday, noted that the history of opposition members crossing to the ruling party dates back to the 1970s.
He mentioned that about 30 members of the Democratic Party (DP) crossed to the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) in broad daylight in an attempt to bring services closer to their people from the then-government of President Dr. Obote.
Acellam highlighted that several prominent members of the opposition in Acholi, such as the late Col. Walter Ochora, who was initially a member of the opposition but later joined the government and served the people of Acholi dedicatedly, and the late Jacob Oulanya, former Speaker of Parliament, who was a strong member of the UPC before joining NRM and serving Acholi, have previously made similar moves.
Other notable figures who defected to NRM include Beatrice Anywar, Omara Atubo, and Hamson Obua from Lango, among others. These leaders chose to cross over to the ruling party in order to bring services closer to their electorate.
Acellam posed the question of when Acholi leaders would come together to present a unified voice for the common interest of the region. He emphasized that if these opposition members have decided to join the ruling party, it is a step in the right direction for the people of Acholi, as they will now have a unified voice to advocate for their common interests. Acellam also noted that for a long time, leaders in Acholi have not been coordinating, leading to disagreements between members of the opposition and the ruling party.
He believes that by joining together under one political party, they will foster unity and provide better representation for issues affecting Acholi.
He called on members of different opposition parties who intend to join NRM to come with respect for the party’s democratic systems and the leaders who have been steering party activities before their arrival.
In February 2025, three prominent opposition figures from the Acholi sub-region—Hon. Ojara Martin Mapenduzi, former FDC member turned Independent and current Member of Parliament for Bardege Layibi Division, Hon. Anthony Akol, MP for Kilak North in Amuru and former FDC member, and Amuru District Chairperson Hon. Lakony Geoffrey—decided to leave their respective parties and join the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM). This decision has sparked mixed reactions from both the public and political leaders in the region.
