ARUA CITY – NRM Director of Finance and Administration, Hajjat Medina Naham Ojale, has called on Ugandans to vote for NRM flag bearers in the upcoming LC I Chairperson elections, saying only leaders elected on the party ticket can effectively implement President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni's manifesto at the grassroots.
Speaking to journalists on Saturday after supervising the successful Village Women Council elections as the NRM Team Leader for the West Nile Sub-region, Medina said the party's overwhelming performance in the polls had demonstrated public confidence in the NRM's programme and should be consolidated in the LC I elections.
"I urge our people, not only in West Nile but across Uganda, to turn up in large numbers and vote for all NRM flag bearers. It is the NRM manifesto that Ugandans voted for and the ideas of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni that they endorsed. Those ideas can only be effectively implemented when leaders at every level are working from the same manifesto," Medina said.
She noted that the Village Women Council elections had seen the NRM secure more than 90 percent of the positions across West Nile, attributing the success to the grassroots mobilisation strategy championed by President Museveni and NRM Secretary General Rt. Hon. Richard Todwong.
"I must thank His Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and the Secretary General of the NRM, Rt. Hon. Richard Todwong, for their guidance. For the first time, the party worked extensively through its grassroots structures. We entrusted 63 leaders in every village with mobilisation, and that strategy worked. It delivered victory in the General Election and has now delivered again in these grassroots elections," she said.
According to Medina, the same mobilisation model had earlier delivered victories for President Museveni, NRM parliamentary candidates and LC V chairpersons, expressing confidence that it would also secure victory for the party in the LC I Chairperson elections.
She cautioned that electing leaders who are not aligned with the NRM programme could slow the implementation of government initiatives, emphasizing that LC I chairpersons are the first point of contact between communities and government.
Echoing Medina's confidence, Arua City Mayor Lawrence Alionzi said the city was prepared for the LC I elections and expected the NRM to build on its recent electoral successes.
"We are building on the momentum from the General Election and the Village Women Council polls. If the recent results are anything to go by, we are confident the NRM will also perform strongly in the LC I elections. We are relying on the strategic guidance of the party and the leadership of Hajjat Medina Naham Ojale to ensure the NRM continues to demonstrate its political strength in West Nile," Alionzi said.
Medina also appealed for peaceful elections, urging candidates and supporters to put community unity ahead of political competition.
"Political parties should never divide us. Elections are a contest of ideas, not a reason for conflict. We all come from the same villages and we shall continue living together after these elections. Those who win should serve all the people, while those who do not succeed should support the elected leaders so that our communities remain peaceful and united," she said.
She further commended the media for informing the public throughout the electoral process, saying the coverage had complemented the party's mobilisation efforts and encouraged greater participation in the grassroots elections.