Former Aruu County MP Odonga Otto has downplayed Democratic Party president Norbert Mao’s chances in the race for Speaker of Uganda’s 12th Parliament, saying the political and electoral structure of Parliament leaves little room for success outside candidates backed by dominant blocs.
Speaking during a Saturday interview on Next Radio, Otto argued that the speakership contest is effectively predetermined by established political arrangements within Parliament and the ruling establishment.
“The way the elections and Parliament are programmed, Norbert Mao has no chance of winning,” Otto said.
He went further, drawing a sharp comparison to underscore his assessment of the race.
“The chances of Norbert Mao winning the speakership race are almost like someone saying the chances of Full Figure becoming Miss Uganda,” he added.
Otto’s remarks come at a time when the speakership race has drawn attention from both ruling party actors and opposition-linked figures, with lobbying intensifying ahead of the parliamentary vote.
Mao, who serves as Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and leads the Democratic Party, has maintained his interest in the position despite reports suggesting that the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) and allied political structures are rallying behind preferred candidates.
He has also engaged in procedural debates around Parliament’s transition process, including calls for the sequencing of induction and leadership elections, arguing that the House risks procedural imbalance if leadership is determined after MPs are fully oriented.
However, Otto dismissed the broader field of contenders outside key political endorsements, arguing that only candidates backed by influential party structures have a realistic chance.
“Other than those endorsed by PLU and CEC for the speakership race; the rest are just participants and not competitors,” he said.
The reference points to the growing influence of internal political groupings and caucuses in shaping parliamentary leadership outcomes, with the ruling National Resistance Movement expected to play a decisive role in determining the eventual Speaker through its numerical strength in the House.
Otto’s remarks highlight the increasingly strategic nature of the race, where political alignment and institutional backing appear to outweigh individual candidacy.
While Mao has insisted that the speakership should be guided by independence and institutional merit, the unfolding contest continues to reflect structured party negotiations ahead of the final parliamentary vote.