Chaotic scenes reigned supreme on Friday at Najjanankumbi party headquarters as Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) kicked off its 16th National Council Meeting.
Before the meeting, violent clashes erupted at FDC offices when individuals wielding sticks and armed with stones clashed with members attempting to access the premises.
Police officers were forced to intervene by rounding up the rowdy members and whisking them away.
The youth donning party t-shirts stormed the venue, demanding that the officials withdraw what they called goons from the party premises.
They were confronted by the security team and another group of FDC youth who were inside the party headquarters, sparking off a fistfight.
FDC security head, Amin Sadic’s clothes were torn as police apprehended one of the over 20 youths who attempted to disrupt operations.
He accused the party spokesperson, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, and Kampala Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago, who doubles as the deputy president for Buganda region, for allegedly sending the hooligans.
Deputy Kampala Lord Mayor, Doreen Nyanjura, was also confronted by FDC members who accused her of “being ungrateful and a goon”.
She was seen, unceremoniously, being booted out of the Council meeting.
Nyanjura claimed that members of the party were not safe on the premises due to the presence of unknown “hooded goons”.
“I have just survived being killed by Nandala and POA goons here at the Party Headquarters Najjanankumbi,” she tweeted accusing the party Secretary General, Nathan Nandala Mafabi, and the party president, Patrick Amuriat Oboi, who are currently on the spot for allegedly receiving Shs7bn from State House during the 2021 presidential polls.
She added: “The plan is to insult, abuse, blackmail, provoke and beat up those opposed to Nandala and POA so that we get intimidated and fear to speak out. Insulting, abusing or even beating me up won’t silence me or push me to the Nandala-POA duo.”
Top on the agenda for this meeting is to receive a report from the Elders Committee, which was established to resolve internal disagreements within the party and promote unity.
This meeting is attended by all FDC District Chairpersons, Members of Parliament, members of the National Executive Committee (NEC), three representatives from the Youth League, three representatives from the Women’s League, one flag bearer (MP) who was unsuccessful in the previous elections from each sub-region and elected Local Government District Chairpersons and Mayors.