The opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has settled on its Secretary General, Nathan Nandala Mafabi, as the party’s presidential flag bearer in the upcoming 2026 general election.
This decision follows high-level internal negotiations that culminated in the withdrawal of party president Patrick Amuriat Oboi, who carried the FDC banner in the 2021 presidential race. According to sources privy to Tuesday’s closed-door meeting, party elders played a crucial role in convincing Amuriat to step aside in favour of a new face, a move he eventually accepted.
The party has since called for an emergency press briefing scheduled for today at 10 a.m., where official communication regarding Nandala Mafabi’s endorsement is expected to be made.
Nandala, a seasoned politician and long-time FDC stalwart, will now join a growing list of contenders for the presidency. These include incumbent President Yoweri Museveni, who was recently endorsed by the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) to extend his stay in power beyond four decades; National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi, commonly known as Bobi Wine; and retired Maj. Gen. Mugisha Muntu, who was last week nominated by the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) to contest in 2026.
Representing Budadiri West in Parliament since 2001, Nandala Mafabi has won five consecutive elections, securing his most recent victory with a commanding 85 percent of the vote. Within the FDC, he has steadily climbed the leadership ladder and is widely tipped to succeed Amuriat as party president in the near future.
As the 2026 electoral race begins to take shape, Mafabi’s nomination signals a renewed strategy for FDC as it seeks to reposition itself in Uganda’s ever-evolving political landscape.
