NRM Warns Politicians Against Frustrating Ongoing Party Voters' Register Exercise

The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson Dr. Tanga Odoi has asked politicians to desist from interfering with the ongoing updating exercise of the party registers.

He warned that those who attempt to frustrate the process will be held to account in the courts of law.

“There are some politicians that want to contest and want to take control. As a party, we shall not allow this. These are our staff and they take orders only from the party secretariat officials,” Tanga said.

 “Do not allow yourself to be intimidated by these people. Don’t not allow them to control you. I know some of them will come with people claiming to be voters of that particular village but don’t register anyone who isn’t of that village because if we get to know, you will suffer the consequences.” Tanga warned registrars.

Because some of the registrars have failed to fall prey to the tricks by politicians, they (politicians)have started tainting the party registrars as opposition members. “When a registrar is not giving in to some leaders , they will start circulating rumors that he or she belongs to the opposition. Some of these people have been working with the party for so long and just because they do not agree with you, you have started baptizing them as opposition members,” Tanga said. “You leaders should give an opportunity to produce a credible register that is accepted by all. We must play our work neutral and we have to be successful,” Tanga said adding that he came to Najjembe sub county in Lugazi district because there one of party registrar who fell sick but a certain group of politicians decided to bring him out of his sick bed and wanted to control him. “That not right. When a sub county registrar is sick, the parish registrar has to step in and do the party work,” Tanga said.

 Using the same platform Tanga revealed that the chairperson of the party who doubles as the President of Uganda Yoweri Museveni is setting up a team of people to various parts of the country that have multiple NRM candidates who plan to contest under the same seat come 2026 elections. “The President has set up a team of people that he is to send to various parts of the country to reconcile politicians and this is aimed at stopping the division of the NRM votes in the general elections and one of the key areas is Buikwe. Buikwe is key to the party. We lost Buikwe in the previous general elections because we had a lot of candidates and this is a mistake that was made as NRM,” Tanga said, adding that the party plans to have its party primaries by July and have a reconciliation of the party members by August and nominate people by September.

On March 13-17 2024, the party embarked on the register update exercise in all the 72,000 villages’ country wide. After the update exercise, NRM registered 18 million people and this was announced by the party chairperson who doubles as the President of Uganda Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

Phase two of the register update exercise is expected to start officially on Wednesday (January 29) and will last for four days until 1st feb 2025.

Dr Tanga Odoi made the remarks yesterday in najjembe, town council Lugazi, Buikwe district