ADJUMANI — Campaigns for the Adjumani West Constituency by-election entered their third day on Saturday, with National Resistance Movement (NRM) flag bearer Leku James Pilli pledging to sustain and complete development projects initiated under former area MP Gen. Moses Ali.
Pilli made the pledge as he intensified his parish-to-parish mobilisation campaign, taking his message directly to voters in Agojo, Loa, Mugi, Okangali and Opejo parishes.
Accompanied by both district and national NRM leaders, Leku addressed voters at various villages, asking them to give him the mandate to represent the constituency in Parliament and follow up government projects aimed at accelerating development and economic transformation.
“I want to thank all of you very much for listening to me and for coming to be with us at this place,” Leku told voters.
“My message to the people of Adjumani is that they should send me to go to Parliament so that I can make sure that the projects that were started by General Moses Ali are completed.”
Leku identified road infrastructure, construction of a stadium and the proposed elevation of Adjumani to a municipality among the key priorities he intends to pursue if elected.
He specifically pledged to follow up the proposed tarmacking of the road from Sinyanya through Adjumani town to Elegu, saying improved connectivity would strengthen cross-border trade and create opportunities for local economic growth.
“The road from Sinyanya up to Adjumani town and going to Elegu will be tarmacked — that I will follow,” he said.
He also pledged to follow up on the construction of the Adjumani stadium and efforts to secure municipality status for Adjumani, alongside other interventions in the health, education and roads sectors.
“These are the key major issues that I will put to the people of Adjumani, alongside other essential follow-ups in the health, education, and road sectors,” Leku said.
The NRM candidate said the response from voters during the third day of mobilisation had been encouraging, with residents turning up at the various campaign venues to listen to his development agenda.
“This is what I have been communicating to the community, and they have been receiving it very well. I thank them for the good reception,” he said.
Leku also highlighted voter education as a critical component of the NRM campaign, saying proper understanding of voting procedures would help minimise spoiled ballots and protect voters’ choices on polling day.
“Civic education is what the people want because you can have a very beautiful election place, but the votes can be spoilt," he said.
“When votes are spoilt, it is a very bad sign and can even spoil an election.”
He commended NRM mobilisation teams for educating voters on voting procedures and said the campaign would dedicate a special day to further guide voters on how to cast their ballots correctly.
The parish-to-parish mobilisation is part of the NRM's wider campaign strategy of taking its message to voters at the grassroots level ahead of the September 17 by-election.
Leku is seeking to retain the constituency for the NRM following the death of Gen. Ali, with his campaign centred on development continuity, completion of existing projects and stronger representation in Parliament.