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BERNARD ATIKU: I’M GOING TO REIGNITE DEVELOPMENT, NURTURE AMBITION FOR PRESIDENT
BY RICHARD DRASIMAKU
ARUA: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2025
Chants of Atiku Bernard Oyee! erupted among the small group of supporters inside the Electoral Commission’s nomination room in Arua City, as Osman Ezale, the returning officer declared Bernard Atiku duly nominated as a contestant for the Ayivu West constituency.
A former Member of Parliament he became one of the six candidates to tussle for the seat that he vacated five years ago.
Going independent after rejecting results of the NRM primary elections as not free and transparent, Atiku is vying as an independent candidate with a megaphone as symbol.
Atiku says the megaphone represents the true voice of the people of Ayivu West that became a constituency during the last year of his previous tenure in Parliament.
Atiku said he is going back to parliament to reconnect with the nation with ambition to contest for presidency in subsequent elections.
Touting his previous performance when he initiated and pushed through the passage of two bills into law – the amended Children’s Act and the prevention and prohibition of human sacrifice law- Atiku said “I have what it takes to be the President of this country.
I have all it takes in terms of knowledge and experience to give this new constituency a new platform. I am coming to reignite development from where I left because our first five years as Ayivu West has been wasted,” he said.
He is in the race together with Fiona Onzima, the National Resistance Movement flag bearer, John Lematia, the incumbent MP, Bernard Jibi, an independent, Christopher Bayo of the Forum for Democratic Change and Constant Adriko, the National Unity Platform candidate.
Making reference to Parliamentary records that show that in the past four years, the incumbent MP John Lematia has spoken only two times,” Atiku said this was underrepresentation of the people.
“Parliament is a place where you go to speak the issues of the people to be resolved. In Ayivu west there are a lot of issues to be talked about in terms of representation, legislation and infrastructure.”
“For instance the road from Kebir to Lokiragodo via Odromachaku, I had lobbied for three mega bridges to be constructed on that road but unfortunately the MP who replaced me didn’t know where those resources were,” asserted Hon Atiku.
He stressed that the Awindiri-BAT-Andelizo road was budgeted for but the project was shelved when he left the Parliament.
Turning to the struggle to have the region hooked to the national grid, Atiku acknowledged that West Nile suffered for a long time but finally the power connection to the national grid has been achieved.
“We secured a World Bank loan in the tenth parliament and now the power has come to Arua city. What is remaining is for us to push for the power to be taken to the wards and villages so that our people will be able to utilize the power,” he said.
Atiku added that when investors come and they are able to find power and establish factories in places like Lia, Odromachaku etc, it will create jobs to absorb some of the youths staying redundant due to lack of opportunities.
