NRM Begins Nomination of Aspirants for Adjumani West Parliamentary By-Election

The National Resistance Movement (NRM) has commenced the nomination of aspirants seeking to become the party’s flag bearer in the forthcoming Adjumani West parliamentary by-election following the death of former First Deputy Prime Minister and long-serving Member of Parliament, General Moses Ali.

The nomination exercise, which started on Monday, August 17, 2026, is being conducted by the NRM Electoral Commission and will run until Tuesday, August 18. It follows the expression-of-interest exercise held between August 10 and 14, during which seven aspirants indicated their intention to contest for the party ticket.

NRM Electoral Commission Commissioner Ambassador James Williams Kinobe told journalists that six of the seven aspirants had been duly nominated by Monday, with the nomination process remaining open until Tuesday.

The six aspirants nominated so far are Anyama Ben, Owole Nixon, Leku James Pilli, Mawadri Justine, Obuni Richard Madrara and Izale Daniel.

According to Kinobe, the fact that an aspirant has expressed interest or has been nominated does not automatically guarantee participation in the eventual NRM primary.

He explained that the party would continue engaging the aspirants throughout the process, with the possibility of reaching consensus on a single candidate before the primary.

“Expression of interest is not final. Candidates can express interest but lose interest before the time of nomination. Even nomination is not final because engagements are going to continue until the campaigns and the primaries, until we get one candidate,” Kinobe said.

NRM Seeks Consensus

The NRM Electoral Commission is encouraging the aspirants to work together and consider consensus as the preferred approach to selecting the party's candidate.

Kinobe said the party wants to avoid a highly divisive primary that could create disagreements among supporters and weaken the NRM's chances in the subsequent national by-election.

He explained that if the aspirants reach an acceptable agreement on one candidate, the party could endorse that individual without conducting a primary. However, if consensus fails, an NRM primary will be held on September 3, 2026, to determine the party's flag bearer.

The Commissioner cautioned against a situation in which an official NRM flag bearer faces another candidate who identifies as an NRM-leaning independent during the general election.

Such a scenario, he warned, could divide the party's support base and make it difficult for the movement to present a united front.

“A divided house cannot stand. We urge the people of Adjumani to be harmonious, work together, and get an acceptable candidate before the date of going to contest against other candidates who may come up,” Kinobe said.

Aspirants to Conduct Joint Campaigns

Following the conclusion of the nomination exercise on August 18, the aspirants are expected to participate in joint campaign activities from August 20 to September 1.

Kinobe said the aspirants will work together with the NRM district leadership to harmonise their campaign programmes before embarking on joint mobilisation across Adjumani West.

The programme will determine the areas to be visited and the activities to be undertaken by the aspirants as they move together through the constituency.

The joint campaigns are intended to give voters an opportunity to interact with all the aspirants while encouraging unity among the candidates and their supporters.

The arrangement is also expected to reduce tensions that could arise from individual campaigns and ensure that the party remains cohesive throughout the selection process.

Primary Set for September 3

If the aspirants fail to reach consensus, the NRM Electoral Commission will proceed with a primary election on September 3, 2026.

The winner of the primary will become the official NRM flag bearer and will subsequently face candidates from other political parties and independent contenders in the national parliamentary by-election.

Kinobe said the party's preferred outcome remains consensus, arguing that agreeing on one candidate would help prevent divisions among NRM supporters.

“It would be good if the people of Adjumani, all of them, agree to have just one nominated candidate, and we don’t go for elections to split the people,” he said.

He appealed to all aspirants to put the interests of the party and the people of Adjumani West ahead of individual ambitions.

Electoral Commission to Update Voters' Register

The process is also taking place alongside preparations by the National Electoral Commission for the parliamentary by-election.

Kinobe noted that the National Electoral Commission will use part of the period between August 20 and August 31 to update the voters' register in the affected electoral area.

The National Electoral Commission is scheduled to nominate candidates for the parliamentary by-election on September 7 and 8, 2026.

The successful NRM candidate will therefore have to complete the party's internal selection process before participating in the national nomination and election process.

By-Election Follows Death of General Moses Ali

The Adjumani West parliamentary seat fell vacant following the death of General Moses Ali, a veteran politician who served as the area Member of Parliament for many years and held several senior government positions, including First Deputy Prime Minister.

The vacancy has triggered a carefully scheduled electoral process aimed at filling the parliamentary seat within the legally prescribed period.

Kinobe said the NRM's internal process is being conducted within the legal timeframe requiring a parliamentary by-election to be held within 60 days following the death of a Member of Parliament.

Appeal for Peace and Unity

As the nomination and campaign activities get underway, the NRM Electoral Commission has appealed to aspirants, supporters and residents of Adjumani West to maintain peace and unity.

Kinobe urged the candidates to conduct harmonious campaigns and avoid actions or statements that could create divisions within the party.

He assured the media and the public that the NRM Electoral Commission would continue issuing updates as the nomination, joint campaign and primary processes progress.

The immediate focus will now shift to the joint campaigns scheduled to begin on August 20, followed by the September 3 NRM primary if consensus is not achieved.

The eventual NRM flag bearer will then proceed to the National Electoral Commission nomination exercise on September 7 and 8, before joining other candidates in the race to represent the people of Adjumani West in Parliament.

With six aspirants already nominated and further engagements expected before the primary, the coming weeks will be crucial for the NRM as it seeks to balance internal competition with the broader objective of presenting a united candidate in the parliamentary by-election.