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Former Soroti Municipality MP Herbert Edmund Ariko joins NRM

Herbert Edmund Ariko with Mike Mukula at Bugolobi, Kampala. Courtesy photo

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The former Soroti Municipality MP, Herbert Edmund Ariko has officially joined the ruling National Resistance Movement-NRM party, four months after losing an MP seat to FDC’s Moses Attan Okia.

Ariko who unsuccessfully contested for the Soroti City East MP seat as an independent, joined parliament in 2016 on the FDC ticket. He is among the FDC members who left the party after the 2017 party presidential elections.

During campaigns, Ariko was seen in NRM camps that raised suspicions among the members of the community. Some of his campaign t-shirts were also printed in the NRM yellow colour. But the former FDC diehard denied any involvement or plans to join the ruling party when asked by journalists in Soroti.

When he lost the bid to represent Soroti City East in Parliament, Ariko ran to court to challenge the city boundaries ruling of November, 2020. After winning the case, Ariko dragged Attan and the Electoral Commission to court over the election malpractices. Court is yet to hear the election petitions.

This morning, the NRM National Vice Chairperson for Eastern Uganda, Mike Mukula unveiled Ariko as NRM cadre at Bugolobi, Kampala. Ariko is seen flashing the NRM sign while clad in a yellow long sleeved shirt alongside Mukula.

Mukula said he was grateful to receive Ariko in the NRM camp. “Am extremely happy to receive by brother and comrade now, Hon. Herbert Ariko, outgoing MP Soroti Municipality (city), formerly FDC and now formerly joined the mighty party NRM”, Mukula noted.

Ariko when contacted on phone declined to receive or return our calls. Angeline Osegge, the former Soroti Woman MP and fellow FDC member who abandoned the party to contest as an independent after the 2017 FDC party breakaway says she is confident of Ariko’s decision.

“He is capable. I have complete confidence in him. We will see lots of political brain exercise in Parliament”, she said in a message.

But Jovans Peter Odikor, the FDC Secretary General in Soroti says he is not surprised by the news of Ariko’s conversion to NRM.

Ariko’s move to join the NRM party comes just days after he was reportedly appointed new Principal Private Secretary- PPS of the Deputy Speaker of Parliament Anita Among.

Before joining NRM, Anita was also a member of the FDC.

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