A group of National Resistance Movement (NRM) party candidates in Adjumani District have accused the Minister of State for Gender, Labour and Social Development (Children and Youth Affairs), Dr. Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi, of sowing division and disrupting joint NRM campaign activities by openly supporting one candidate—Gen. Moses Ali.
The minister is scheduled to visit the district today, July 10, 2025, to attend a public rally organized in support of Gen. Moses Ali. However, other NRM aspirants claim the visit undermines party unity and compromises fair competition in the primaries.
The concerns were formally raised in a petition dated July 8, 2025, addressed to the NRM Electoral Commission Chairperson.
The petitioners argue that Minister Balaam’s involvement gives Gen. Moses Ali an unfair advantage and undermines the spirit of joint campaigns, which are intended to provide equal platform access to all NRM candidates.
During a press conference held on Tuesday at the office of the Resident District Commissioner, Richard Akuku, an LC5 aspirant, criticized the timing of Minister Balaam’s visit. He said security forces blocked candidates from accessing Biridi Stadium, claiming it had been booked for the minister’s rally preparations.
“We were denied access to the venue for our scheduled joint campaign event. This has caused unnecessary tension and derailed our efforts,” Akuku stated.
Jessica Ababiku, the incumbent Woman MP for Adjumani District, called for unity within the party and urged the NRM leadership to reschedule the disrupted joint campaigns. She warned that favoritism towards one candidate—in this case, Gen. Moses Ali—could fuel division and conflict within the NRM ranks.
“Such selective support causes insecurity among the rest of the candidates and risks deepening internal hostility,” Ababiku said.
Ben Anyama, the Adjumani LC5 chairperson, accused Minister Balaam of indirectly influencing the election outcome by campaigning for Gen. Moses Ali, who has not been participating in the joint campaigns.
Santos Adrawa, an MP aspirant for Adjumani West, also voiced frustration over the cancellation of the planned joint event, while fellow candidate Nicxon Owole argued that if Minister Balaam must campaign, he should do so in a personal capacity—not under the guise of government or party authority.
“All candidates are equal in this election. Using state power to support one candidate is unfair,” Owole said.
