Lira—5, July 2020: Former Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party national Vice Chairperson for Northern Uganda, Mrs Dina Bua’s defection to National Resistance Movement (NRM) party is inconsequential to the Entebbe road-based opposition political party, TND News has learnt.
On Friday, she officially joined the ruling party and was welcomed by the NRM national Vice Chairperson for Northern Uganda, Mr Sam Engola.
Mrs Bua has been a key player for FDC and during her tenure, she ensured the opposition party was able to gain both momentum and popularity in Lango sub-region.
Because of her robust strategy, she was being courted by the ruling party; a prominent member of FDC party tells this publication Sunday morning.
However, some in FDC have come out to claim that while at the helm of the strongest opposition party in Uganda—manning northern region, she was “money hungry and was frequently tempted with millions of shillings” by the Museveni led party.
In 2018, she was finally bought cheaply by the ruling party agents from one of the top hotels in Lira town.
“Dina Bua left FDC in 2018 after leaking and selling People’s Government and FDC party documents and other classified information to NRM party. She was paid a paltry amount,” a source says.
Asked how much she was paid, he added: “First, this deal was accomplished in a meeting held at Margarita Palace Hotel in Lira between Mrs Bua, one of the RDCs in Lango and few others attended. She was given shs1m as a token of appreciation.”
FDC Lira chapter says they were alerted about the meeting and soon dispatched one of their spies to observe the “scandalous meeting”. The meeting took place at 7pm and lasted two hours.
“She ceased being a member of FDC in 2018. She was buying time before crossing to the bus,” same source says.
“Dina’s defection is not news to the leadership of FDC. Dina Bua crossed to NRM in 2018 and has since then been an NRM member.”
In that meeting, she is said to have handed over photocopied documents with a list of names from Erute South (where she was in charge) for 1m shillings and was told to bring the original copies which she couldn’t have access to later.
The matter was reported to FDC party headquarters in Kampala and to the People’s Government that same month, and since then, FDC says Dina has never been an FDC member by virtue of attempted betrayal of a party she served.
“She has since then been side-lined and treated with mistrust and has never been invited to any meeting of the FDC party both at local or national level. She has never taken part or represented FDC in any meeting or function unless as a person of Apica Dina Bua,” FDC says.
It added: “The leadership of FDC and People’s Government, therefore, is not surprised with Dina’s defection as it is a defection of 2018. We wish her well in serving her party NRM and pray she doesn’t carry out the double self – politics in there.”
Otyama Bonny Ogongson, the FDC party Chairman Lira district, told TND News Sunday evening that: “Not much as she has already been working for Museveni’s junta for nearly 5 years now. However, as a team just like in football after putting much in your player, it’s a pity to see her going where she might be misplaced and since the clandestine mission they wanted her for can’t be achieved now.”
The Lira district NRM spokesperson, Jacob Ocen, has laughed off the FDC exclamations following Dina’s defection. In a phone interview with this digital publication Sunday evening, Mr Ocen explains Dina’s importance to the ruling party.
“It’s important that the membership has increased in the party. A party is powerful with membership and Dina is strong and will help us woo other FDC members to the ruling party.”
“Her (Dina’s) eyes have opened to see that NRM is the only party taking people forward, Dr Kizza Besigye has tried for 20 years and never won.”
According to Ocen, he and other NRM party leaders have been telling Dina Bua that “when you are in a party, it should be able to take you to government”.
TND News phoned Mrs Bua purposely to get her comments but she only said: “I can’t hear you.” We phoned back and she never picked the call.
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