As FDC presidential polls getting closer, MP Mubarak Munyangwa, one of the five candidates has stepped down, backing Patrick Amuriat Oboi to unseat Gen. Mugisha Muntu.
Munyangwa announced at the resumed rallies Amuriat organized in Eastern Uganda.
His move to join the Amuriat camp, Munyangwa said aimed at getting a strong party leader, who will fight dictatorship in the country.
“Amuriat and I we share the same vision. I accepted to back him up for FDC presidency so that we build a strong party,” Munyangwa told PML Daily.
His first appearance at Amuriat’s rallies was at Jinja town rallies, where he came wearing red T-shirt.
And later, he moved with the Amuriat team traversing Bugiri and Busia districts.
He held a press conference after rallies with Amuriat, promising to inject Shs5m in the campaigns, to uproot Muntu.
Walid Mulindwa, one of Amuriat’s media campaign managers said Munyagwa’s decision to join them has boasted their campaigns.
“We are winning this election with gusto come November 24th at our Party National Delegates Conference,” he added.
Why Munyangwa crossed to Amuriat camp
To some insiders in the party, including those supporting Muntu were not surprised with Munyangwa’s decision. They revealed that negotiations to have Munyangwa backing Amuriat started before and after nominations.
“He never accepted what were telling him, but I am happy now that he has seen the light,” one the campaign managers of Amuriat said.
Munyangwa , in August told PML Daily that Amuriat’s camp was engaging them to step down and support their candidate.
“I refused to accept because they approached me in arrogant way,” he said then.
However, sources within FDC revealed that the vice president of the party for Buganda region, Joyce Sebugwawo, who is the mayor of Rubaga division, has been sweet talking Munyangwa to support Amuriat. Sebugwawo is the campaign manager of Amuriat.
Notifying electoral body
Munyangwa is supposed to notify the FDC electoral body, with in few days that he had stepped down, as it is required by the party rules governing the elections. By press time however he had not.
Hussien Lubega, one the party electoral officers said they were not aware that Munyangwa had stepped down, advising him to write to them, before Tuesday next week.
