Politics 27 August 2026 Nile Post
NUP Backs Independent Tandrupasi in Adjumani By-Election, Declines to Field Own Candidate
The National Unity Platform (NUP) has announced it will not field a candidate in the upcoming Adjumani District parliamentary by-election. Instead, the party has decided to endorse independent candidate Patrick Tandrupasi, citing concerns over previous electoral conditions. Source: https://nilepost.co.ug/news/367046/nup-declines-to-field-candidate-in-adjumani-by-election-backs-independent-patrick-tandrupasi
The National Unity Platform (NUP) has made a strategic decision to sit out the upcoming Adjumani District parliamentary by-election. Rather than presenting its own contender, the party has thrown its support behind independent candidate Patrick Tandrupasi.
NUP Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya stated that while several individuals had shown interest in representing the party, NUP would not issue them a nomination card for this specific by-election. Rubongoya indicated that this choice was a deliberate move to prevent a recurrence of issues the party encountered in Adjumani during the previous general election.
The parliamentary seat for Adjumani District became vacant following the death of the incumbent, Moses Ali. Patrick Tandrupasi, who is now running as an independent, had previously vied for the same seat in January under the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party ticket.
By endorsing Tandrupasi, NUP is offering significant backing to an independent candidate, demonstrating an alternative opposition strategy. This approach avoids potential vote-splitting that could occur if NUP had nominated its own candidate, allowing them to consolidate support behind a single opposition figure.
Rubongoya emphasized that the decision was based on a careful evaluation of the past election and its associated circumstances. While NUP is not fielding a candidate, this does not necessarily signal a complete withdrawal from political engagement in the Adjumani constituency.