Godfrey Aine Kaguta commonly known as Sodo has told his supporters that President Yoweri Museveni influenced him to quit Mawogola North race.
Sodo, bowed out of the race on Wednesday morning just hours to election, leaving his fans in disarray and disappointment.
Justifying his decision to leave the race, Mr Sodo said Wednesday that he was forced out of the race by his elder brother who is also the President.
“I was forced out of the race by Mzei,” he said contrary to unconfirmed reports that he had received huge sums of money to relinquish the seat.
Sodo further said that Museveni instructed him to withdraw his candidature in favour of his rival Shartsi Musherure Kutesa.
“Museveni decided that I pull out because if we are fighting what are we going to do to the people of Mawogola,” he added.
But he maintains, “I was forced.”
Both Sodo and Musherure had contested as Independent candidates after NRM rejected to recognize anyone as the flagbearer although Sodo had won the election and duly declared winner by the NRM electoral commission.
Sodo lodged a case against NRM in Mbarara High Court which won.
But reports indicate that on Sunday, Museveni who is also the NRM chairman summoned Sodo to Entebbe State Lodge for a meeting which was also attended by Minister Sam Kutesa and his daughter Shartsi Kutesa.
In the meeting Museveni openly asked Sodo to step down from the race, to which Sodo complied but asked his brother to also meet his campaign taskforce that has greatly done a tremendous job to mobilize for him support.
Reports say, Museveni again met Sodo in company of his campaign team to explain why he asked his younger brother to willingly quit the race.
