Lira, Uganda – Aceng Patricia Ogwang, an aspiring Woman Member of Parliament for Lira City, has raised alarm over what she described as deliberate sabotage within the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party structures in Lira City.
Speaking during a press briefing at Pacific Grand Hotel on Tuesday May 6, 2025, Aceng accused Lira City Resident City Commissioner (RCC) Lawrence Egole of facilitating her removal from the party’s Yellow Book in what she termed a politically motivated move.
Aceng explained that she registered as an NRM member in 2015 in Mutungo, Kampala, and returned to Lira in 2020 to work with Voice of Lango FM as a journalist. Upon returning, she re-registered as a voter at Te-Kulu, Lira City, under the NRM structure.
She said she was shocked to discover her name had recently been removed from the party register—an action she believed was orchestrated by RCC Egole due to her political rivalry with the incumbent Woman MP, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero.
She said the action was not just an attack on the party but a direct attempt to weaken her as a political competitor. She claimed the move was illegal and damaging to the credibility of the NRM in Lira City.
Aceng also alleged that Egole had fixed the name of Geoffrey Ojore into the NRM register at the Te-Garage polling area, even though Ojore was not a previously registered member.
She condemned the act as electoral malpractice aimed at manipulating party structures ahead of the 2026 elections.
She maintained her loyalty to NRM and President Yoweri Museveni, but warned that internal divisions within the party in Lira City were threatening its unity.
According to her, the NRM belongs to President Museveni, not individuals, and she believed even the President would not support the confusion unfolding in the party at the local level.
Aceng confirmed that she is considering running as an independent candidate if the irregularities continue. She stated that she will not be intimidated, that she is exploring formal channels to petition the matter, and that she is fully prepared to contest in the 2026 elections regardless of party affiliation.
Supporting her claims, Atim Sarah, former chairperson of Ipito Aweno SACCO, said that she was given the register to carry on registration exercise and Aceng Patricia had been registered in the NRM Yellow Book last year. She expressed surprise that Aceng’s name had now been removed.
In response to the accusations, RCC Lawrence Egole denied any involvement in the matter. He stated that he did not know who Patricia Aceng was and emphasized that he did not work for the NRM or know where, when, or by whom Aceng had been registered. He said it was difficult for him to respond to accusations from someone he had never heard of.
The dispute has intensified existing tensions within the NRM party in Lira City, raising concerns about fairness, transparency, and internal unity ahead of the 2026 general elections.