Lakony noted that he equally needed to enjoy the government since all efforts of removing President Yoweri Museveni for the last 39 years has failed by the opposition.
Michael Lakony, the Amuru District Chairperson has opened up
on why he chose to defect from the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC)
party to the ruling National Resistance Movement party (NRM).
Lakony, who was also the former FDC chairperson for Amuru
district defected to the NRM party on January 30 from Alebtong district during
President Yoweri Museveni’s tour of the Parish Development Model progress in
Lango Sub-region.
Speaking to Uganda Radio Network in an interview over the
weekend, Lakony noted that the internal bicker within the FDC party left him
with no choice but to join the NRM party which he had decampaigned for many years.
Lakony has been a member of the FDC party since 2003.
The once fierce critic of President Museveni noted that
while the FDC should have focused on creating a coalition to take over the
government, the top wings of the party engaged in fights for internal power.
Lakony noted that he equally needed to enjoy the government since
all efforts to remove President Yoweri Museveni for the last 39 years have
failed the opposition.
“I have not designed myself or have been born to remain in
the opposition, I am equally born to be in government, and it is an ideological
move. What I have chosen to do is move towards the government where I can be in
a position to be in government,” said Lakony.
The 46-year-old politician alleged that top opposition
political figures are using their political parties as a means of survival while
those like him who used to support them gain nothing other than constant criticism
of the government.
“People who are in the top opposition leadership are putting
the leadership position of FDC as a means of survival other than taking
President Museveni out of government. They are always given money, and donations
from abroad, it is a source of survival,” he said.
According to Lakony, he intends to end the bad politics of
the opposition in Amuru district and the Acholi Sub-region and embark on constructive
politics that stands on truth and developmental ideas.
He also declared his interest to vie for the Kilak South
Parliamentary seat in Amuru district come the 2026 general election against his
former friend turned rival Gilbert Olanya, a staunch opposition political
figure.
James Ocen, NRM Chairperson for Gulu told Uganda Radio
Network that they have welcomed the defection of Lakony from FDC to NRM. He
however noted that the procedures of defection were not followed and wondered
why Lakony had to be paraded in Alebtong district without consulting the district
executive committee of the NRM party either in Amuru or Gulu district.
//Cue in: “For us in…
Cue out:…as our member.”//
Ocen believes with the defection of Lakony, the NRM party is
fast gaining strength in the sub-region once known as a stronghold for the
opposition political parties.
Lakony adds to the growing list of staunch opposition
political names in the sub-region who are shifting their allegiance to the NRM
party. Notably, Martin Ojara Mapenduzi the Bardege-Layibi Division legislator,
a once FDC die-hard in June 2023 officially signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party.
Betty Aol Ocan, the Gulu City Woman Legislator and a member
of the FDC Katonga faction that has since formed the Peoples Front for Freedom (PFF), says Lakony’s defection has a big impact on the strength of opposition in
the Acholi sub-region.
Aol noted that with the growing influence of money used by the NRM party over strong opposition leaders in the sub-region, their numbers are
dwindling at a fast pace.
“Lakony’s defection has a very big impact because he was one
of our strong leaders. There is no way we can say it won’t affect us, it will impact our strength,” Aol told Uganda Radio Network on Saturday. Aol said while it was Lakony's right to choose his political party, his defection should not make him turn against his people.
Lakony’s political journey started in 2003 when he joined
the former Reform Agenda a pressure group led by Rtd Col. Dr Kizza Besigye before the formation of the FDC party.in 2006, He was elected as a councillor five for
Lamogi sub-county and appointed as the deputy speaker of Gulu District. He also
served as a district speaker of Amuru district in 2007 after Amuru was curved
from Gulu district.
Lakony won the LCV Chairperson seat for Amuru district in
2016 and currently serving his second term.
