Renowned legal practitioner and political activist, Edmund Elasu, has officially been nominated to contest in the upcoming Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) primaries for the Soroti City Mayoral race.
Elasu joins a competitive field that includes incumbent Mayor Joshua Edogu and seasoned politician Paul Omer, all vying for the FDC flag ahead of the 2026 general elections.
Elasu’s nomination, which was confirmed on Wednesday morning by the FDC Electoral Commission Juma Opolot, marks a significant moment in the city’s political landscape, signaling a potential generational shift in leadership and governance philosophy.
In his remarks following the nomination, Elasu expressed gratitude to the party, his campaign team, and his supporters for the unwavering commitment they have shown during the preparatory stages.
“First of all, I would like to appreciate my team and my party, the Forum for Democratic Change, for allowing us to go through these initial processes. For almost two years, we have been preparing for this moment, and I’m very grateful to God that I have now been fully nominated to run for Soroti City Mayor under the FDC,” Elasu said.
He noted that while nomination is only the first hurdle, the bigger task lies ahead as the party gears up for its internal primaries.
“We are done with the nomination phase. What follows now are the primaries, which will be conducted in the coming weeks. I am ready to engage the party members with humility and confidence,” he added.
Elasu, outlined a bold and ambitious vision for Soroti City, one that hinges on a new generation of leadership, free from what he called “recycled governance.”
“There is general consensus among the public and within our party that Soroti City urgently needs fresh ideas, new leadership, and a complete departure from the outdated systems of the past,” he said.
Drawing on his legal background and civic advocacy, Elasu pledged to inject integrity, innovation, and transformation into City Hall.
“For over 15 years, we have seen the same crop of leaders rotate between positions with no meaningful change. Soroti is no longer a municipality, it is a city. We need to start acting like a city. We need new wine in new wineskins,” he declared.
He pointed to persistent challenges such as poor garbage management, rampant corruption, and declining local revenue collections as key indicators that the current leadership has failed to rise to the occasion.
“Are you aware that today, Soroti City collects less local tax revenue than what the old municipality used to generate? That is a leadership crisis. As a city, we should be growing, not retrogressing,” he argued.
Elasu emphasized the importance of upholding democratic principles in the FDC primaries.
“My message to the party leadership is simple: we are the Forum for Democratic Change, not the Forum for Dictatorial Change,” he said. “The ‘D’ in FDC stands for democracy, and as a lawyer, I understand that democracy must be bottom-up, not top-down.”
He called on party leaders to ensure that grassroots structures are given the respect they deserve in the decision-making process, urging transparency, fairness, and neutrality in the primaries.
“Let the people decide. Democracy begins at the village level and flows upward, not the other way around. If we preach democracy at the national level, let us practice it internally as well,” he urged.
In closing remarks, Elasu appealed to the people of Soroti City to open a new chapter in their city’s governance.
“Soroti deserves better. We can’t continue doing the same things and expect different results. Let’s choose transformational leadership. Let’s choose progress. Let’s choose hope,” he said.
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