Five aspirants for the Soroti City East seat have stepped aside in favour of the ruling National Resistance Movement -NRM’s candidate Herbert Edmond Ariko.
Ariko will now tussle it out with Forum for Democratic Change FDC’s Moses Attan Okia who was the only aspirant nominated on Monday.
A total of seven aspirants had picked up the nomination forms and these include; Moses Attan Okia Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Hebert Edmond Ariko National Resistance Movemet (NRM), Pascal Amuriat Uganda Peoples’ Congress (UPC), Joseph Ogita (Independent) Stephen Omoding (Independent), Herbert Omoding Olaboro (Independent) and Isaac Okore Democratic Party.
The NRM candidate Ariko was set to be nominated today alongside the five who had picked the nomination forms but these stepped down in his favor.
The aspirants announced their stepping down before the NRM Vice Chairperson, Capt. Mike Mukula at his residence in Soroti City before they headed to the electoral commission to formally declare that though they had picked the nomination forms they have changed their minds to support Ariko.
All the five aspirants have also pledged allegiance to NRM before the National Vice Chairperson NRM Eastern Region.
According to Jimmy Willy Ekemu the former NRM flag bearer, he handed the flag to Herbert Edmond Ariko and has promised to convince his supporters to back Ariko in the forthcoming by-elections slated for 28th July 2022.
Meanwhile, Ekemu said that for the love of the NRM party he willingly agreed to hand over the flag after he asked by the top NRM leaders to do it.
Sarah Inachu was the only female who ran for Soroti City in 2021 Parliamentary general elections as an Independent though NRM leaning, and came third beating Will Ekemu the flag bearer who took the fourth position.
Inachu said she adhered to call of the NRM party after she was approached and convinced to step down in favor Ariko as a strategy to ensure victory by avoiding dividing the votes.
