Clergies and Elders Pray and Bless Hon Atiku Benard to Kickstart His Campaigns for Ayivu West Constituency MP Seat 2026 - 2031.
ARUA. The elders of Nyio-Vurra in Ayivu West County, Arua City have showered the former Ayivu County Member of Parliament (MP), Bernard Atiku with blessings dedicated to cleansing his way back to Parliament.
Atiku lost his ten-year-reign in Parliament to John Lematia, the incumbent Ayivu West MP during the controversial 2021 general elections, marred by allegations of vote rigging.
But in his five years of recess, the people of Ayivu West have been putting Atiku under pressure to come back to represent them in the 12th Parliament.
The pressure was preceded by the words of blessing from the elders and religious leaders who on Saturday, January 25, 2025, joined thousands of locals at Nyio Catholic Church playground to jubilate Atiku’s decision of heeding to their call.
Atiku was joined by Lawrence Alionzi, the former Makerere University Guild President commonly known as Dangote and other local leaders in receiving the elders’ blessings ahead of the 2026 general elections.
Dangote has expressed interest in contesting as the Arua City Mayor, a position Sam Wadri Nyakua is holding with unconfirmed reports indicating that he will not seek re-election.
“I’m very happy that Atiku has today accepted our call to come and be blessed to go back to Parliament. During his ten years in Parliament, Atiku did a lot for the people of Ayivu; he promoted education so much that he even sponsored our sons and daughters in school. Some have finished University, some are working while others were cut short when he lost the office,” said Eric Adia, the head of the elders of Nyio-Vurra, a home clan of Atiku.
“We lost so many opportunities as the people of Ayivu and in particular Ayivu West in the last five years. Nobody continued doing what he was doing in terms of service delivery and representation and that is why we have called him to be blessed today so that he can go back to Parliament to continue from where he stopped,” Adia said as he blessed Atiku.
Rev. Canon. Alfred Jack Adiburu, a retired Anglican Priest, said it has been the desire of the people that in the forthcoming elections, Atiku should go back to Parliament to represent them.
“They have done this out of the bitterness they have gone through in the years when he was out of Parliament. Many activities which he did, they have not seen them happening. For example, he has been paying school fees and scholastic materials for many children in Ayivu who have done very well in PLE or UCE which has been very remarkable,” Adiburu said.
Besides, Adiburu noted that Atiku has been very developmental in lobbying for services like the construction of roads, extension of power (Electricity) in the villages in Ayivu and advancing financial support to the needy, which all went silent when he lost the seat.
“So, people have remembered all these things and said it seems if Atiku was still in Parliament, how much more would he have done for us. Then again, they have remembered him because when he was in the Parliament, he worked on a bill to protect children’s lives which was later passed and assented to by President Museveni.”
“For this reason, people have remembered that Atiku has done something good for the people of Ayivu and Uganda at large, and for us the religious leaders, we have come to witness the elders’ blessing for Atiku and pray over it before he starts his campaigns,” Adiburu stated.
Freda Letasi, a resident of Ozuvu cell in Pajulu ward who traveled all the way to Nyio-Vurra to witness the ceremony, expressed happiness after hearing that Atiku is coming back to represent them.
Letasi noted that Atiku used to be very supportive to them as women by empowering their village saving groups financially but ever since he left the office, they haven’t got such a boost again.
In his remarks, Atiku acknowledged that in the last four years, the people have realized lack of representation in Parliament because the incumbent MP is among the worst performers on record.
“I agree that the five-year term has really been wasted and therefore, I feel this call has come at the right time. I think people have looked at my performance in the ten years I have been in Parliament and it is the reason they have thought I’m the only person who can take them back to where they are supposed to be. Therefore, I accept the request and I want to thank the elders for the blessings and we shall work to ensure that we put Ayivu West where it is supposed to be,” Atiku promised.
Atiku, who intends to contest on the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party ticket, also used the opportunity to welcome more than ten agents of Lematia to his camp after they publicly apologized for all the wrong they did to him during the 2021 general elections.
Atiku is now slated to organize a mega launch of his come-back on February 15, 2025 at Onduparaka, the headquarters of the greater Ayivu County, a function that will attract voters from all parts of Ayivu West County.
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