Anthony Waddimba, the personal assistant to Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and Democratic Party (DP) President, Norbert Mao, has resigned.
The resignation stems from the controversial cooperation agreement that Mao signed with President Museveni on behalf of the DP in 2022, which led to Mao’s appointment as Justice Minister.
In his resignation letter, Waddimba, who is also a member of DP’s National Council, criticized Mao for failing to consult party organs before committing to the agreement.
“The National Council you are supposed to consult before committing the party to such destructive deals has only met once in the last ten years, and that was in 2020 under a court order against your wish,” Waddimba wrote.
Waddimba expressed that the cooperation agreement has had adverse mental health effects on many close to Mao, citing harsh reactions from DP members and the public.
He revealed that party spokesperson Opio Okoler was forced into self-exile due to the stress of defending the agreement against his conscience.
Waddimba also accused Mao of “bedroom recruitment” and restructuring the party’s grassroots to favor supporters of the agreement.
He criticized Mao’s decision to consider sharing office space with the NRM, questioning how an opposition party could operate effectively while sharing offices with its political rival.
Furthermore, Waddimba raised concerns about rumors of Mao planning to contest for MP in Gulu East (Laroo Pece) on an NRM ticket in the 2026 elections, questioning the implications for DP’s opposition status.
In his closing remarks, Waddimba stated, “Due to the reasons stated above, in order to protect my mental health and for the good of my DP party and the country at large, I hereby RESIGN from being your Personal Assistant at the DP Headquarters, with immediate effect. I want to set an example for my generation and those to come that in civilized societies, people resign whenever things get messed up in a way that they cannot have them fixed.”
 President, Norbert Mao, has resigned.){kind=link}