By Frank Kamuntu
Mawogola: Godfrey Aine Sodo Kaguta, one of the contestants for Mawogola North MP race on the independent ticket has reportedly pulled out giving his strongest rival Shartis Musherure a green light.
The development comes after the ruling National Resistance Movement-NRM party failed to hand him the party ticket which forced him to push matters to Court that later in its ruling faulted the party for acting out of its constitution noting that there was no reason to deny him the ticket since he had trounced Musherure in primary elections with a huge difference.
Sodo argued that NRM had failed in its obligation to follow and comply with its party constitution and regulations in the conduct of its primaries.
READ ALSO: Confirmed: Sodo Kaguta, Kutesa’s Daughter Musherure To Face Off Again As Independents
According to the poll results declared by the Sembabule NRM District Returning Officer, William Katokozi on September 30th, 2020, Sodo polled 17,343 votes against 16,104 votes garnered by Musherure.
However, Musherure rejected the results and petitioned the NRM Elections Tribunal arguing that the primaries were marred by gross irregularities.
The tribunal chaired by Enoch Barata failed to take a final decision on the petition and instead forwarded the matter to the Central Executive Committee (CEC) for guidance, which wasn’t provided. CEC also referred the matter to the NRM vice-chairperson, Al-Hajj Moses Kigongo who allowed the two candidates to run as independents.
However this morning hundreds of supporters of Sodo woke up to utter surprise to learn that he has now decided to withdraw just hrs to the final lap. Some feel betrayed that after going through immense torture, intimidation and some even lost lives, he could seat down in a closed room with Musherure and team and decide on a matter that claimed lives like that. “I suspect money exchanged hands,” one of his closest campaign managers told this reporter on phone.
