By Denis Mugabi
The National Resistance Movement (NRM) Chairman, Electoral Commission (EC), Dr. Tanga Odoi , has said should President Yoweri Museveni decide to appear on the ballot in 2026, he will vote for him.
“I am a referee (at NRM level). At a national level, I am a voter and I will vote for Museveni in 2026-2031 when he comes,” Dr. Odoi said while appearing on NBS TV Morning Breeze.
Clarified his earlier statement saying that Museveni is NRM flag bearer up to 2026. “I don’t want the NRM to juggle the party. I simply said that Museveni is here today, tomorrow and in 2026,” added Dr. Odoi.
He added: “NRM is not stuck with Museveni. You only get stuck with a problem. Museveni is not. If the NRM was to have a one man declaration of Museveni, I would do that.”
NRM has issues to sort, he added “Our structures had been neglected for 5 years. The Todwong-led team is now saying “let’s go and revitalize these structures up to the last person.”
Dr. Odoi said it is time for the academia to rise up and direct the country.
“We (academia) are cheerleaders in our own right and that’s how we in the academia went wrong. We shouldn’t leave issues of politics to voters,” Dr. Odoi said.
Otherwise, he says Uganda and NRM have benefitted from Museveni’s presence.
“We (in NRM) still have stability which has helped NRM. It (stability) is necessary for parties. NRM has benefitted from Museveni’s presence. Uganda has benefitted from Museveni’s presence,” Dr. Odoi noted.
According to Ibrahim Semujju (Kira Municipality, FDC), people who make statements like Dr. Odoi be seeking fortunes.
“I was disappointed by your remark, not because it was made by NRM but by a former Head of Makerere University staff (an academic),” Semujju said.
Semujju says in the next election, Museveni will be 82 and that “Uganda’s life expectancy is 63. Museveni will be 82 in the next election. When you are at that age, you begin thinking about death. “In 80s, my father only says when I die, be good children…”
Semujju says that the debate now should not be about Museveni but about Uganda.
