By Weswa Ronnie
MBALE CITY
Abdallah Magambo, the Deputy Speaker of Mbale City Council, has abandoned the National Unity Platform (NUP) Party to be nominated to contest for Northern City Mayor Position in an Independent ticket.
Magombo was elected as Councilor at Northern division to city on NUP ticket and was elected as deputy speaker at Mbale city council.
In an interview with our reporter shortly after his nomination, on Tuesday, 9th September, Magambo described the moment as historic and thanked the people of the Northern City Division for supporting his candidature.
He says he has come as an independent such that all people from different political parties can entrust him with votes.
“This is the time we are going to have a corrupt-free Mbale Northern City Division. You are electing a servant who is not looking for a job but committed to service delivery. I have already demonstrated that during my service as Deputy Speaker of Mbale City Council by spearheading the construction of Busamaga bridge,” he said.
He clarified that he remains a member of NUP but chose to contest as an independent candidate due to what went wrong during NUP party primaries.
“I want to be clear: I am still a member of the National Unity Platform. Each political party has free entry and free exit, so no one has the right to chase me from NUP. I only have some reservations about the party, which I prefer not to speak about, but I decided to come as an independent. My symbol is a ball, because everyone uses a ball, whether DP, FDC, NRM, or NUP,” Magambo explained.
He dismissed claims that he had abandoned NUP, stressing that only a member can choose to leave the party.
Magambo said that, there’s no single political party that has powers to dismiss a member.
“NUP has no right to dismiss Abdallah; it is me who can decide to leave. I was the only flag bearer of NUP in Mbale City in 2021, and I appreciate the party for endorsing me then. Those circulating propaganda that I left are spreading falsehoods,” he added.
However, Rogers Busiku, the Mbale City National Unity Platform (NUP) Party Chairperson has distanced himself with Magombo saying he is no longer their member.
He says Magombo was a NUP member but after the expiry of the 2021 card, he never renewed it meaning he is automatically not a NUP member.
Busiku urged NUP supporters and members in Northern city division and Mbale city at large to distance themselves from Magambo stating that the party has Chris Mbaga as the official party candidate for Northern City Division Mayor whom they should back.
