In a surprise turn of events just minutes before voting commenced, long-serving Vice Chairperson for the Eastern Region on the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Central Executive Committee (CEC), Capt. Mike Mukula, announced his withdrawal from the hotly contested race.
Mukula, a prominent figure within the party and a key voice from Eastern Uganda, stepped aside in favor of his challenger, David Calvin Echodu, after the two held last-minute talks with NRM party chairman, President Yoweri Museveni.
“I have worked and served the NRM party with deep conviction. I stand here with a clear conscience. For the good of the party… I do not want to cause division,” Mukula said in his address, appealing for unity within the party ranks.
He urged his supporters to remain calm and support the new leader, emphasizing that internal cohesion was more important than personal ambition.
Mukula’s move is seen by many as a gesture of statesmanship and loyalty to the party, especially at a time when the NRM is focused on consolidating its strength ahead of key political milestones.
Echodu is now expected to run unopposed, pending official confirmation from the party’s electoral process.
