Incumbent Koboko Municipality MP Evelyn Anite has revealed that People Power deputy leader Lina Zedriga approached her to join the pressure group after Dr Charles Ayume won the ruling party’s primary election in Koboko Municipality.
On September 04, Ayume, a son to former Attorney General Francis Ayume, beat Anite, the junior investment and privatization minister, in the National Resistance Movement (NRM) primary election to choose the 2021 parliamentary flag bearer for Koboko Municipality.
Anite has severally accused Ayume of conniving with opposition party Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and People Power to rig her out.
The MP and others who lost in the recently held NRM Primaries have formed the NRM Reorganization Team, to reconcile aggrieved members and to mobilize for President Yoweri Museveni in the 2021 presidential election.
The MPs, over 10 in number, also included Mbarara Municipality’s Michael Tusiime, and Rakai Woman MP Juliet Kinyamatama.
Others are Charles Ilukor (Kumi County), Lillian Nakate (Luweero Woman MP), Abraham Byandala (Katikamu), Amos Mandera (Buyamba County), John Bosco Lubyayi (Mawokota South, Grace Freedom Kwiyucwiny (Minister Northern Uganda Affairs), and Rose Tumusiime (Entebbe Municipality).
The list also includes Kasirivu Atwooki (Bungangaizi West), Okello Oryem (State Minister for Foreign Affairs), Gabriel Ajedra (Minister of State for Finance in charge of General Duties), and John Byabagambi (State Minister for Karamoja Affairs).
Anite says the NRM Reorganization Team will also ensure that party members who lost in primaries neither stand as independents nor join opposition parties.
She revealed that opposition groups like People Power and the National Unity Platform (NUP) had wooed her to join them after she lost in Koboko.
She singled out Zedriga, who she said called to invite her into NUP.
But Anite said she had turned down the offer, saying “there is no other party in principle that can be compared NRM.”
“Lina Zedriga the Vice President of NUP has reached out to me to join NUP but I have made it clear to her that I will continue working for NRM.”