OMORO BYELECTION NOMINATIONS: FDC Candidate Resurfaces Hours after Reportedly Being Kidnapped by Gunmen

Opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) says Davis Owani, its candidate for the Omoro County byelection, has reappeared hours after he was reportedly kidnapped by unknown gunmen ahead of his nomination on May 12. 

According to FDC President Patrick Oboi Amuriat (POA), Owani was on his way back to Omoro after appearing on a talk show on Rupiny Radio in Gulu City at about 8:30pm when he was reportedly kidnapped.

“We highly suspect this to be the handwork of the usual suspect fearing the strength of FDC in this particular by election,” claimed Amuriat. 

Hours later, the FDC president said that he had received reports from the party’s foot soldiers in Acholi indicating that their flag bearer was on his way from Kamdini to Gulu City. 

Amuriat says that Owani reported at Kamdini Police Station at 1am to ensure that he was safe following the alleged kidnap. A 2021 presidential candidate, Amuriat further claimed that Owani was on May 12 “violently attacked, his vehicle windscreen smashed, bag with documents stolen and subjected to physical tortured.”

At about 10am on Thursday, Amuriat said he was on his way to Omoro “to deal with this crisis.” He advised FDC supporters to “remain calm as we manage the situation.”

Owani is one of the candidates seeking to fill the vacant Omoro County MP seat which was previously occupied by Jacob L’Okori Oulanyah, the now deceased former speaker of the 11th Parliament. Nominations began today and will end on May 13 while voting will happen on May 26.

The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) has fronted Oulanyah’s son Andrew Ojok to replace his late father. Ojok recently confessed that he was not the best candidate in the race to replace his father Oulanyah. (Read Story Here).