Opposition party Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party has barred three of its party legislators from Teso region from taking part in the ongoing nomination exercise until they resolve pending issues with the political group.

The three legislators that have been bared are; Hon. Elijah Okupa (Kasilo), Hon. Angelline Osege (Soroti District) and Hon.Edmund Herbert Ariko (Soroti Municipality).

The three have for long been in cat and mouse runs with the party leaders. In 2017, the trio differed from the then party leaders choice Patrick Amuriat during the party presidential elections offering their allegiance to the then FDC president Maj Gen Gregory Mugisha Muntu who was campaigning to retain the seat.

When Gen Muntu later broke away from FDC to form the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT), the three MPs also abandoned the party and all its activities according to an inside source.

FDC’s District Registrar in Serere District Sam Olupot said that they could not nominate Okupa as the FDC flag bearer for the Kasilo County Parliamentary race before getting clearance from the party leadership.

Olupot maintained that the aforementioned legislator has not been paying his monthly contribution to the party, a situation that requires clearance before his nomination.

Similarly, In Soroti District, Hon. Jane Acen, the party chairperson says they were given strict guidelines by the FDC top organ not to nominate the members until they are cleared.

Acen, however, said that that only Ms Osege expressed interest in picking nomination forms while Ariko was not bothered.

Ms Osege said that she will contest for the parliamentary seat with or without FDC’s endorsement. She said that since the government is funding party activities, there was no need for individual MPs to continue remitting funds to the party without clear objectives.

Asked about the matter, Hon. Ariko argued that he still belongs to the party.

Hon. Ariko downplayed concerns of not remitting monthly contribution saying that he has been solely paying rent for party offices in Soroti until 2018.