LIRA, UGANDA – In a significant political development, a faction of leaders and elders from the Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) and the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) in the Lango Sub-region have publicly broken ranks with UPC President Jimmy Akena and declared their unwavering support for President Yoweri Museveni in the 2026 general elections.
The declaration was made in a joint resolution signed by numerous members, leaders, and elders from the two opposition parties, signaling a potential shift in the political landscape of Northern Uganda.
The group cites two primary reasons for their decision. First, they point to the fact that the UPC currently has no presidential candidate for the 2026 race, a situation they attribute to “UPC constitutional limitation and court case(s) from our members.”
Second, and more directly, the resolution takes issue with a recent public pronouncement by Hon. Akena, who is also the Member of Parliament for Lira City East. While addressing UPC party flag bearers and on Radio Q FM Lira, Akena was quoted as stating, “Those who wanted to vote for me, who had decided to vote for me, who were supporting me, don’t think of giving my vote to President Museveni.”
The dissenting Lango group has strongly distanced itself from this statement. In their resolution, they expressed being “cognizant of the fact that through the leadership of His Excellency General Yoweri Kaguta Museveni… Lango and Uganda enjoy peace, development and wealth creation initiatives.”
The resolution contains three key resolutions:
- To “strongly disassociate ourselves” from the public pronouncement made by Hon. Akena.
2. To “declare our unwavering support towards His Excellency General Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, NRM Presidential candidate as President of the Republic of Uganda 2026-2031.”
3. To “appeal to the Lango UPC/FDC fraternal family to join us in support of this noble cause for the unity, peace and development of Lango and Uganda.”
This move represents a notable crack in the opposition’s front in the Lango sub-region and is being seen as a major boost for the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) as it seeks to consolidate support ahead of the 2026 polls.
As of press time, Hon. Jimmy Akena and the national leadership of the UPC had not issued an official response to the declaration by the Lango elders. Political analysts will be watching closely to see if this localised rebellion gains further traction within the opposition stronghold.
