FDC: Media exaggerating trivial ‘Naggayi issue,’ silent on NRM, People Power defections

Main opposition party FDC has lashed at the media for concentrating on party defections and controversy surrounding MP Nabilah Naggayi Sempala’s failed nomination.

Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party spokesperson Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda used much of the July 20 presser at Najjanankumbi to tell off the media for blowing defections out of proportion.

Naggayi, the Kampala woman MP seeking the city mayoral position, appeared on numerous media outlet’s shows and bulletins after FDC EC rejected her nomination papers.

In one such appearance, Naggayi clashed with FDC secretary general Nandala Mafabi. In another, party president Patrick Oboi Amuriat invited Naggayi for talks.

The media has also extensively touted a refusal by some MPs like Bugweri’s Abdu Katuntu and Kasese’s Winnie Kiiza to decline to seek FDC’s endorsement.

Also, former deputy spokesperson Paul Mwiru (Jinja Municipality East) defected to Mugisha Muntu’s Alliance for National Transformation and warned discussing his quitting could cause FDC’s disintegration.

FDC insists these MPs left the party in 2017 after Muntu lost an internal election and left to found ANT.

Ssemujju called out the press for offering publicity to errant party members like Naggayi, and for marketing the idea that some people were bigger than the party.

He told reporters at the party headquarters that there was nobody bigger or smaller in the FDC.

The Kira Municipality MP gave an example of main opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye who he says is now junior to him (Ssemujju) since he (Besigye) is the mobilisation secretary for Rukungiri.

He also cited the example of Ogenga Latigo who lost an MP seat yet he was thought to be big since he held the position of leader of opposition in parliament.

Ssemujju, also opposition chief whip in parliament, suspected the media had an agenda to “light fire on FDC.”

He said there was a “sustained campaign in the media” to portray FDC as “a party in meltdown” as a way of giving an edge to the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) and the People Power pressure group.

The MP asked reporters why they are not covering the troubles in the NRM and the defections in the People Power pressure group.

Ssemujju also reminded reporters that almost all People Power coordinators had not picked the Kamwokya-based pressure group’s expression of interest forms.

These included rebel MPs Barnabas Tinkasiimire (Buyaga West) and Gaffa Mbwatekamwa (Kashambya) who NRM chairman and Uganda’s president, Yoweri Museveni recently forgave.

Tinkasiimire was People Power coordinator for Bunyoro sub-region while Mbwatekamwa was the pressure group’s coordinator for Ankole.