The founders of National Unity Reconciliation and Development Party (NURP) through their lawyer James Byabakama have petitioned the political party regulator- Electoral Commission challenging the unlawful takeover of their party by Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu aka Bobi Wine.
Byabakama challenges the unlawful resolutions/decisions/transactions entered into on behalf of the said Party, which violate the Party Constitution and national laws.
“Under Section 4 and 21 of the Political Parties 8 Organizations A. 2005, we are instructed by the founders of the National Unity Reconciliation and Development Party (NURP). which was registered as a political party in 2004 to lodge a complaint,” Byabakama said in a petition sent to EC.
Byabakama raises four fundamental questions challenging the takeover of NURP;
a) The resolution amending the Party name from National Unity. Reconciliation and Development Party (NURP) as per its certificate of registration issued on 28/12/2004 to “The National Unity Platform’. (NUP) published under General Notice No 838 of 2019 in the Uganda Gazette dated 121812019 and certificate of registration issued on 28/8/2019 without complying with the Party Constitution 2004 and provisions of the Political Parties and Organizations Act 2005.
c) The resolution dated 5/12/2017 Illegally nominating someone described in the resolution as the “Ghetto President, H. E. Bobi Wine Kyadondo East MP Hon. Kyagulanyi Robert” as the Party’s Presidential flag bearer in the 2021 Presidential elections, many years before the due time for such nominations and without following the Party Constitution and national election laws
d) The extra ordinary Delegates Conference allegedly held on 14/7/2020 and attended by only 51 unverified members out of a Delegates Membership 1st of 400 delegates which rubber stamped Hon Kyagulanyi Ssentamu Robert as the new Party President and his associates as Party office bearers unopposed without conducting a proper election in violation of the Party Constitution and provisions in the national Constitution on internal democracy of political parties
e) The deliberate alteration of the list of founder members/subscribers of the Party in order to aid and abet the aforesaid schemes.
He further adds that Electoral Commission is under a statutory duty to address and rectify the aforesaid illegalities. hence this complaint
“It you fail or omit to exercise your statutory mandate in the matter, our clients who are the Party founders will have no option but to Join the Electoral Commission to legal proceedings intended to restore control of the NURP Party to its rightful founders and members,” added Byabakama.
Responding to these allegations on social media, Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine said these are machinations orchestrated by a panicking regime.