Opposition Uganda Peoples’ Congress (UPC) under the leadership of Lira Municipality Member of Parliament, Jimmy Michael Akena have laughed off the recent resignation of Dr. Olara Otunnu as the party president.
Otunnu on Thursday announced his resignation as the opposition party president in a letter written to his cabinet Chairperson, Prof. Edward Kakonge, assigning his Vice President Joseph Bossa to take up the mantle until elections are organized.
Akena’s administration however, termed this as comedy, explaining that Otunnu’s term of office ended last year and that all this while he’s been masquerading as party president.
Otunnu’s leadership was dethroned on May 30, 2015 after the District Conference elections of the party that saw Jimmy Michael Akena emerge with a landslide victory.
A lot of irregularities were sighted in the elections results which prompted Otunnu to institute a commission of inquiry; this was seen by Akena supporters as a plan to overturn his victory prompting them to ambush and forcefully took over the party headquarters at the 6th floor of Uganda House to date.
The party Spokesperson, Michael Osinde Orachi told ChimpReports yesterday that “after failing on all avenues to fight the genuine leadership of Akena, Otunnu decided to give up the fight.”
“Otunnu’s hand over is misplaced, he didn’t have any power to hand over, he instead handed over air to his Makerere University OB Joseph Bossa with whom they have been weakening the party,” Osinde noted.
Osinde explained that Otunnu’s term of office expired in March 2015 and had to hand over power on May 12 according to his roadmap for the Delegates Conference.
“Being a defacto president isn’t a permanent position, Otunnu had only powers to oversee the transition process to its conclusion and since a new president was elected, approved and sworn-in by delegates, his tenure ended long ago.” Osinde emphasized.
“Bossa was a Democratic Party (DP) member and also once held a Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) ticket, before he joined UPC where he was appointed Vice President by his OB Olara Otunnu.”
He added, “If Otunnu was a genuine party president why did he withdraw the case challenging Akena’s presidency; his misplaced handover is a clear reason that he acknowledges the party leadership.”
Osinde added that since the planned Coup de tat of 1985 against the Late Apollo Milton Obote government whose mastermind was Olara Otunnu and his uncle Tito Okello Lutwa, Otunnu has silently carried on the mission of killing the party.
“He has discovered that even after the death of Obote another generation is up to resist the move of killing the party.”