Ayivu County MP Bernard Atiku Officially Joins NRM

ARUA. Bernard Atiku, the Ayivu Division MP who has served in FDC for over 15 years has officially joined the ruling NRM party ahead of the 2021 general elections.

Atiku who is serving his second term in Parliament joined parliament on the FDC ticket in 2011.

He joins a long line of MPs that have left the FDC to join other parties including Alice Alaso, Kassiano Wadri, Odonga Otto, Paul Mwiru among others.

Atiku fell out with the party and contested as an independent candidate in 2016, although he still remained within the opposition circles.

On Sunday, Atiku officially announced that he had changed his alliance and would seek re-election through the NRM party.

The MP told several supporters and witnesses who converged at the Ayivu County headquarters at Onduparaka trading centre that he will still work to ensure that the people of Ayivu, get their share of the national cake. 

According to MP Atiku, his decision to join NRM party is influenced by the desire to be a new breed and change agent in the NRM party so that it’s clean and corruption-free.   

Speaking to locals and NRM officials who gathered to witness the occasion, Atiku said: “From today onwards, I’m a member of NRM. I join NRM with clean hands to develop Ayivu and Uganda at large.”

Atiku said while in NRM, he will ensure that all the people of Ayivu are landlords in Arua City.

He promised to work with government and the ministry of lands to ensure that everybody in Ayivu Division gets a land tittle.

“I will also work hard to improve on the education standards in Ayivu and promote wealth creation through the different government programs to chance the lives of my people,” Atiku said.

Arua district NRM vice chairperson Joyce Amaguru,  who officially received and dressed Atiku in a yellow attire to signify his alliance with the party, applauded him for making the right decision, which will make it easy for him to lobby from the government.

According to Amaguru, the people of Ayivu have lagged for long because of electing MPs affiliated to the opposition party.

Several supporters and leaders of NRM in Arua and Ayivu Division are optimistic that the decision will help bridge the gap between the people of Ayivu and the NRM government that has existed for long and deterred development in the area.

Nahori Oya, the Resident City Commissioner Arua who presided over MP Atiku’s official introduction and unveiling into NRM castigated the people of Ayivu for delaying to realize the need to be with the ruling government over the years. 

Following the creation of Arua City, Ayivu Division has now been split into two constituencies of Ayivu East and West. Bernard Atiku has now become the first and more likely the only NRM flag bearer in Ayivu West and stands a high chance of being unopposed since all his potential opponents have been cut off to East Ayivu.