“I Wasn’t Abducted As Bobi Wine Is Lying” Speaker Anita Among’s NUP Opponent Claims She Willingly Withdrew From The Race

The political storm that has gripped Uganda over the alleged “kidnapping” of National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate Asio Florence has taken a shocking and dramatic twist — after Asio herself publicly broke her silence to declare: “I was not abducted!”

Just a few days earlier, Uganda’s largest opposition party, led by Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine), had accused the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Annet Among, of orchestrating the disappearance of her political rival, Asio Florence — who was due to be nominated as Bukedea Woman Member of Parliament.

Bobi Wine’s explosive social media post on October 23 ignited a firestorm of reactions online, sending shockwaves through Uganda’s political space.

“The whereabouts of our candidate for Bukedea Woman MP, Asio Florence, are unknown… Unknown armed persons went to her home, picked up her mother and siblings, and intimidated them to force her out of the race. Shamelessly, Anita Among is chest-thumping that she is unopposed!”

Following the post, the NUP communications team doubled down on the allegations — releasing an emotional audio clip of a sobbing woman, allegedly Asio, gasping for breath and claiming she was “still undergoing trauma.” The party insisted that she had been “disappeared by agents of the incumbent Speaker.”

For days, the story dominated headlines and social media timelines. But the sensational narrative that many had accepted as truth has now collapsed like a house of cards.

On Sunday evening, October 26, Asio Florence herself appeared in a calm and composed video message that left much of the country stunned. With poise and firmness, she dismissed the claims of abduction and dropped a revelation that turned the entire saga on its head.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Asio Florence, the NUP flag bearer for Bukedea District Woman MP,” she began. “I wish to categorically make it clear that I was not kidnapped. My decision not to appear for nomination came out of family pressure — being that I am the daughter of the Right Honourable Speaker Anita Annet Among.”

Yes — you read that correctly. The woman NUP accused Speaker Among of abducting is, in fact, her own daughter.

Asio went on to explain that her decision to enter the political arena under the opposition banner had caught her family completely off guard.

“My intentions to contest came in on short notice, and my family was not aware. It came as a shock on the day of my unveiling. That’s when the pressure started mounting. I didn’t take it seriously at first, but I couldn’t hold it anymore.”

Her heartfelt remarks — gentle in tone but unequivocal in message — have completely flipped the narrative. What was initially framed as a high-stakes story of “state-backed abduction” has instead been revealed as a deeply personal family standoff between one of Uganda’s most powerful political figures and her politically ambitious daughter.

The revelation has left NUP in a difficult position. As of late Sunday night, neither Bobi Wine nor the party’s spokesperson had issued any formal response to Asio’s clarification.

Meanwhile, reactions across social media have been intense and divided. Many Ugandans have expressed disbelief, accusing NUP of jumping to conclusions without verifying facts, while others sympathize with Asio for finding herself torn between family loyalty and political conviction.

Speaker Anita Among, who had been painted as the main villain in the initial story, has so far maintained her silence. However, sources close to her camp say they are quietly celebrating what they describe as “vindication by truth.”

What began as a gripping political thriller has now unfolded into a complex family affair — a saga that intertwines politics, personal choices, and public perception.

One thing, however, remains beyond doubt: in Bukedea and across Uganda’s political landscape, the Asio-Among story will continue to dominate conversations for a long time to come.