Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Bill Oketch
Published on 2024-01-28 13:00:00
The NRM party is preparing to select its candidate to compete against candidates from other political parties for the vacant Dokolo Woman Member of Parliament seat, previously held by the late Barbara Cecilia Atim Ogwal. Ogwal passed away on January 8, 2024, after battling cancer, and was laid to rest on January 27 at her home in Dog-Gudu Village, Alito sub-county in Kole District.
Although the Electoral Commission has not yet declared the seat vacant, NRM Secretary General Richard Todwong announced plans to reorganize the party in Dokolo to ensure their chosen candidate succeeds Ogwal. The party is eager to secure victory in the upcoming by-election and avoid repeating past mistakes, such as the costly loss in the Oyam North by-election.
Dokolo District was established in 2006, and since then, Ogwal, a member of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party, had been the area’s woman MP. NRM is now focused on selecting a strong flagbearer for the by-election, believing that a well-organized and strategic approach will lead to success.
In the 2021 general elections, Ogwal retained her seat after receiving 32,223 votes, defeating NRM’s Janet Rose Adong Elau, who received 16,880 votes, and UPC’s Sarah Aguti, who received 10,460 votes.
FDC leader Patrick Amuriat Oboi expressed the view that the FDC candidate should run unopposed in the Dokolo by-election, suggesting a united front for the party.
The NRM Secretary General emphasized the importance of learning from previous mistakes and organizing the party effectively to secure victory in the upcoming by-election. The party is determined to avoid repeating the costly error made in the Oyam North by-election, where the UPC candidate emerged victorious. The NRM leadership is focused on strategizing and appointing a strong flagbearer to ensure a successful outcome in the Dokolo by-election.
