Busia joint opposition candidate Njoki pulls out of race for government job

A few days to the polls, the joint opposition candidate for Busia district LC5 chairperson seat, Democratic Party’s Deogratious Njoki Hasubi has pulled out of the race to take up a government job, the Nile Post has learnt.

In a letter to the Democratic Party Secretary General dated November 10, Njoki says having been appointed as a member of the Ugandan Human Rights Commission, he has officially pulled out of the race.

“I was dully nominated on November 6 as a candidate of Democratic Party to contest for the office of the chairman Busia district but on November 9, I received a copy of letter addressed to the speaker of parliament appointing me as a member of the Uganda Human Rights Commission, Njoki says in a letter copied to the DP president general and national party chairman.

In the letter Njoki defends his appointment as one which was initiated by himself way before the by election program kicked off, adding that he should not be blamed by anyone.

The decision to pull out of the race by the Democratic Party candidate who had also been endorsed by fellow opposition parties comes at a time when nominations closed.

This means the other opposition parties will have no chance to field another candidate.

Njoki, however in the letter says all this was out of his control adding that he is not to blame for the mess.

“If approved by parliament, I would as a citizen consider serving my country as a member of the Uganda Human Rights Commission .I request for your cooperation and support.”

The decision by Njoki to pull out leaves NRM’s Paul Boniface Oguttu as the strongest candidate in the race that has the other three candidates as being independents.

The news of Njoki’s quitting will be a big blow to the opposition, especially Forum for Democratic Change which recently announced rallying behind Njoki.

The FDC Deputy Secretary General, Harold Kaija recently told journalists that despite having strong candidates, they had decided to settle for a joint candidature in DP’s Njoki.

“We have had a long relationship with Deo Njoki and we shall not field a candidate despite having strong leaders in Busia,”Kaija told journalists at Najjankumbi last week.

FDC president, Patrick Oboi Amuriat said having worked with Njoki, there was no way they would ditch him in the forthcoming polls.

“He even used some of the FDC facilities, we cannot refuse to support him,” Amuriat said.

The Busia LC5 position fell vacant in May after the Court of Appeal in Mbale threw out Ouma Adea for being   convicted of corruption in 2013.