AYIVU CONSTITUENCY WEST CANDIDATES CRITIZE INCUMBENT HON. LEMATIA FOR WITHDRAWING FROM JOINT NRM CAMPAIGNS

Phiona Onzima, Hon Atiku Bernard and Hon. Lematia John before withdrawing from the joint NRM campaigns.

By Onzoma Albert
Arua City

Dispute is rising among candidates vying for the Member of Parliament position in Ayivu West Constituency ahead of the upcoming NRM primaries scheduled for July 17, 2025.

As Phiona Onzima and Hon Bernard Atiku are planning to petition their opponent the incumbent Member of Parliament for Ayivu West Constituency, Hon John Lematia for violating the Joint Campaign guidelines.

Incumbent Hon John Lematia withdrew from joint campaigns on July 4, due to alleged intimidation by supporters of his opponents, Phiona Onzima and Hon Bernard Atiku.

His challenger Phiona Onzima, criticized Lematia for acting against party guidelines by conducting individual campaigns, which could lead to disciplinary actions including warnings or disqualification.

“I am going to write petition to the NRM secretariat it’s really not good because the party gave us guidelines to conduct the Joint Campaigns which we should follow as the candidates, as for me I am not comfortable with one of us moving away because we don’t know what the person is doing in our absence, what if he is blackmailing us,” she said. 

Similarly, Hon Bernard Atiku claims to possess sufficient evidence to petition the NRM secretariat to disqualify Lematia from the primaries. “We now have enough evidence from yesterday when he started moving alone until this evening where he was in “Kasua” and later in the evening, he was in “Luluwiri” Pokea ward, these are enough evidence to file a complaint before Tanga Odoi the NRM Electoral Commission to ask him to disqualify Hon John Lematia from the race” he said.
 
Party officials like Tom Amagu, NRM Registrar for Arua City, stated that violations will be investigated and appropriate actions will be taken as per the campaign guidelines.

“Some candidates have decided to go on their own yet they are supposed to officially write to the NRM Electoral Commission in Kampala then after permission was supposed to be granted to the candidates by the Electoral Commission of the party and we are yet to follow who has got the permission and who has not for an appropriate actions,” he said.

By press time all Efforts made to obtain Lematia’s response on the matter where been unsuccessful.

The guidelines stipulate that violations may result in sanctions such as verbal or written warnings, hearings, or disqualification. The situation has created tension among candidates and party officials, emphasizing the importance of adherence to party rules to ensure a fair primary election process.