Veteran politician Alhaj Abdul Nadduli has issued a stark warning about Uganda’s political trajectory, cautioning that the “commercialized” defections of opposition figures to the ruling National Resistance Movement are undermining the growth of new leaders and national development.
He also expressed deep concern over the heavy involvement of the armed forces in elections, which he says usurps the power of the Electoral Commission and fuels voter apathy—a betrayal of the democratic ideals that inspired the 1986 NRA revolution.
In Uganda’s high-stakes political landscape, “crossing the floor” has become increasingly common, most recently exemplified by Yusuf Nsibambi, who shifted allegiance from the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) to the NRM.
For Nadduli, such high-profile defections are more than tactical maneuvers—they represent a slow poison to the nation’s democratic health.
“These constant movements from one party to another stall genuine development and suffocate the grooming of principled leaders,” Nadduli said, contrasting Uganda with global peers where even single-party systems evolve toward broader inclusion.
He warns that Uganda’s habit of “shifting goalposts” risks leaving the country’s political future trapped in cycles of short-term gains.
Nadduli also raised alarms about the militarisation of the ballot box, cautioning that the armed forces’ heavy presence in elections does more than enforce security—it effectively undermines the courts and the Electoral Commission.
“For a man who bled for the 1986 NRA revolution, seeing soldiers at polling stations is not just a ‘security measure’ but a dangerous U-turn from the democratic freedoms that fueled our struggle,” he said.
Looking ahead to the election of the 12th Parliament’s Speaker, Nadduli challenged the next occupant of the chair to act as more than a “rubber stamp.”
He urged the selection of a constitutional gatekeeper capable of balancing service to government with principled oversight, ensuring the law is upheld and not sacrificed for political convenience.