ENTEBBE DIVISION B BRACES FOR SHOWDOWN AS “SOCRATES” MAKES DRAMATIC U-TURN
ENTEBBE — In a stunning political reversal, Mugabi John Socrates, the National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate for LC3 Chairperson, has re-entered the race for Entebbe Division B, just hours before the final election deadline, transforming the local election from a presumed coronation into a contentious showdown.
This decision follows widespread reports that Socrates, a figure hailed by supporters as the community’s “Socrates” for his advocacy of “Economic Freedom,” was poised to withdraw. His potential exit was framed as a moral protest against alleged intimidation, abductions of youth supporters, and a pre-rigged electoral landscape favouring the National Resistance Movement (NRM).
The atmosphere in the division had turned sombre, with many residents, particularly the elderly and the youth, feeling abandoned. “It felt like the final surrender,” one Kitoro resident stated. “If the man standing for truth steps aside, what hope is left?” The narrative was one of a shepherd reluctantly leaving his flock under duress.
That narrative has now been shattered.
In confirming his candidacy, Socrates sets the stage for a direct clash with the NRM’s Lukyamuzi Joseph Lwanga. The contest is starkly framed as a battle between grassroots mobilization and state-backed organizational might.
Lwanga enters the race with the formidable machinery and optimism of the ruling party, fresh from municipal victories elsewhere. His path is seen as one of administrative continuity and resource advantage. Socrates’s path, conversely, is powered by a deep emotional connection with a frustrated base and the energy of a protest vote. His great hurdle remains the very spectre of coercion and suppression he initially sought to flee.
“This is no longer just about an office,” a NUP campaigner told Zapmedia. “It is about looking our democratic process in the eye and demanding it works. Socrates is forcing that test.”
The sudden shift has electrified the NUP base, replacing a mood of defeat with frantic, nervous energy. Entebbe Division B is now braced for a collision. Senior citizens who felt “politically orphaned” now have their bridge to a transparent future restored, however precarious.
The ultimate question has morphed. It is no longer why he would leave, but if he can win. A victory for Socrates would be hailed as a miracle of resilience against overwhelming odds. A loss will be cited by his supporters as definitive proof of the “shadows” he denounced.
As the sun sets on Lake Victoria, the peninsula holds its breath. Today’s election formalises what has become a referendum on the very nature of the contest itself. The shepherd has returned for a final stand, but the field ahead remains fiercely contested.
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