The National Resistance Movement (NRM) has commenced the nomination of candidates seeking to become the party’s flag bearer in the forthcoming Adjumani West parliamentary by-election, following the death of General Moses Ali, the former First Deputy Prime Minister and long-serving legislator.
NRM Electoral Commission Commissioner Ambassador James Williams Kinobe told the media that the nomination exercise is being conducted today, August 17, and will continue until tomorrow, August 18, following last week’s expression-of-interest exercise.
According to Kinobe, seven aspirants picked forms and expressed interest in contesting for the NRM flag between August 10 and 14. Six of the seven aspirants have now been duly nominated, with the nomination process continuing until tomorrow, August 18.
The six candidates duly nominated today are:
Anyama Ben, Owole Nixon, Leku James Pilli, Mawadri Justine, Obuni Richard Madrara and Izale Daniel
Kinobe emphasized, however, that expressing interest or even being nominated does not necessarily mean that all the aspirants will eventually appear on the ballot in the NRM primary.
“Expression of interest is not final. Candidates can express interest but lose interest before the time of nomination. Even nomination is not final because engagements are going to continue until the campaigns and the primaries, until we get one candidate,” he said.
He said the NRM will continue engaging the aspirants in an effort to achieve consensus and avoid dividing party supporters ahead of the general by-election.
Kinobe urged all aspirants to conduct peaceful and harmonious campaigns, noting that the candidates will participate in joint campaign activities and coordinate their movements within the constituency.
He said that if consensus is reached, the party could settle on a single candidate without holding a primary. However, if the aspirants fail to agree, the NRM Electoral Commission will proceed with a primary election, with the winner becoming the party’s flag bearer.
The Commissioner further cautioned against a situation where an NRM flag bearer faces another NRM-leaning independent candidate in the general election, saying such a contest could divide the party’s support.
“A divided house cannot stand. We urge the people of Adjumani to be harmonious, work together, and get an acceptable candidate before the date of going to contest against other candidates who may come up,” Kinobe said.
Following the closure of the NRM nomination exercise tomorrow, the aspirants will embark on joint campaigns from August 20 to September 1, 2026.
Kinobe said the candidates will sit with the district leadership to harmonize their campaign programme, including the areas they will visit, before moving together across the constituency.
He explained that the joint campaign arrangement is intended to promote unity among the aspirants and supporters while giving voters an opportunity to interact with all the candidates.
The NRM primary is scheduled for September 3, 2026, when the party will select its flag bearer if consensus is not reached.
Kinobe also noted that the National Electoral Commission will use part of the period between August 20 and August 31 to update the voters’ register in the affected electoral area.
The successful NRM candidate will subsequently face other candidates during the national by-election process. The National Electoral Commission is scheduled to nominate candidates for the parliamentary by-election on September 7 and 8, 2026.
Kinobe said the entire process is being undertaken within the legal timeframe requiring a by-election to be held within 60 days following the death of a Member of Parliament.
He appealed to the people of Adjumani West and all NRM supporters to maintain peace and unity throughout the process.
He said the ideal outcome would be for the aspirants to agree on one acceptable candidate so that the party does not have to conduct a divisive primary.
“It would be good if the people of Adjumani, all of them, agree to have just one nominated candidate, and we don’t go for elections to split the people,” Kinobe said.
He assured the media and the public that the NRM Electoral Commission would continue providing updates as the nomination, joint campaigns, and primary election processes progress.