UPC’s Akena defies court order, ‘elected’ as party president

The newly elected president of Uganda Peoples Congress(UPC),Jimmy Akena, has vowed to deal with anybody who intends to undermine the will and the leadership of the party.

Akena made the remarks during delegates conference that was held on Saturday at Kasangati Resort hotel where he was re-elected as the party president.

Akena was unopposed after three challengers failed to return the nomination forms for the same position.

They were; Beatrice Amara, Tom Omino, and Denis Enuku.

The delegates’ conference was held in contempt of an order issued by the Court of Appeal, which had stopped it.

But in his message,Akena castigated some of the party members for undermining the party and it’s leadership.

“I stand for the will of the members of UPC. I will protect the party by all means available. I will never allow the will of UPC to be undermined by anybody. Some people want to be more UPC than everybody else beside that they went ahead to block the party accounts,”he said.

He also refuted the allegations of selling the party to President Museveni.

“There has been some narrowing of differences but as far as politics is concerned, UPC has a distinct platforms which is separate from any political party,”he said.

Three days before the event,the Court of Appeal had halted the party delegates conference pending the disposal of an appeal challenging Jimmy Akena’s leadership as party president.

The three-member panel of justices of the Court of Appeal issued the orders after lawyers representing the Peter Walubiri-led UPC faction told court that failure to halt the conference would cause them irreparable damage.

They argued that Akena whose leadership is being challenged would preside over the delegate’s conference, which is expected to elect the next UPC leader for a five-year term.

Akena’s lawyer Joseph Kyazze didn’t object to the application.

Accordingly the Court of Appeal Judges namely Elizabeth Musoke, Christopher Izama Madrama and Irene Mulyagonja halted the delegate’s conference.

But it went ahead, anyway.