The National Alliance of Political Parties has split into rival factions over the leadership of Kornelio Kon Ngu, days after he declared his intention to challenge President Salva Kiir in December elections and criticised the ruling SPLM.
Eight parties within the alliance announced on Monday that they had withdrawn their confidence in Kon as chairman, accusing him of violating its rules, making unilateral decisions and acting without consulting member parties.
Kon’s faction rejected the move, saying he remains the legitimate chairman and that those seeking his removal do not represent the alliance’s recognised leadership.
The dispute comes as political parties step up preparations for the planned Dec. 22, 2026 elections and threatens to deepen divisions within the coalition, which is part of the Other Political Parties (OPP) grouping under the 2018 peace agreement.
Paulino Lukudu Obede, chairman of the United South Sudan Party, announced the withdrawal of confidence at a news conference in Juba on behalf of what he described as the alliance’s Leadership Council.
“Henceforth, the Leadership Council of the National Alliance of Political Parties is hereby reconfirming the withdrawal of our confidence from Rt. Hon. Kornelio Kon Ngu as the chairperson of the National Alliance,” Lukudu said.
Lukudu is also deputy governor of Central Equatoria state.
Kon, who also leads the National United Democratic Front (NUDF), announced his presidential bid at a weekend summit of the alliance, saying he would challenge Kiir in the December election.
The faction opposing Kon said he had not been endorsed as the alliance’s presidential candidate and therefore cannot claim to represent the grouping in the presidential race.
Richard Valent Omwony, the alliance’s secretary-general and an ally of Kon, disputed that position.
“We are already set and we knew that this is our new candidate for the election for the presidency,” Omwony told Radio Tamazuj.
Allegations against Kon
The faction opposing Kon accused him of making decisions without consulting the alliance’s Leadership Council and of using positions allocated to the alliance to benefit members of his own party.
It also alleged that government positions allocated to the alliance had been given to people without affiliation to member parties, including relatives and associates, and alleged that some appointments involved payments.
The faction further criticised Kon for calling for the resignation of National Elections Commission Chairperson Abednego Akol.
It also rejected Kon’s description of the SPLM as a military movement rather than a political party, saying the Political Parties Council is responsible for determining the status of registered political parties.
The group opposing Kon also called on Kiir to revoke his appointment as third deputy speaker of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly, saying his continued presence could contribute to political tensions.
Kon was appointed third deputy speaker under the power-sharing arrangements established by the 2018 peace agreement.
The faction said any correspondence or political position issued by Kon in the name of the National Alliance should no longer be considered representative of the organisation.
It also announced the dismissal of several recently admitted parties, including the National Renaissance Party and the Social Progressive Party, saying they were not signatories to the 2018 peace agreement.
Eight parties back the move
The withdrawal of confidence was endorsed by eight party officials representing member parties of the alliance.
They inlclude Juma Saeed Wajro, chairperson of the South Sudan National Party; Jaech Chuol Gai, acting chairperson of the South Sudan Democratic Party; Paulino Lukudu Obede, leader of the United South Sudan Party; Joseph Wol Modesto, secretary-general of the Communist Party of South Sudan; Abdallah Deng Nhial, chairperson of the Popular Congress Party; Willian Jabi Ngalamu, acting chairperson of the National Democratic Alliance; Albino John Laku, chairperson of the Democratic Unionist Party; and George James Gatluak, acting chairperson of the Peace, Unity and Reconciliation Party.
The statement was also copied to senior government and security officials, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) political affairs office and representatives of major political groupings, including the SPLM, SPLM-IO, South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA), OPP and Former Detainees.
Kon rejects removal
Omwony rejected the allegations and said the officials behind Monday’s announcement had themselves been subjected to the alliance’s internal procedures for alleged violations of its rules.
He said previous attempts to remove Kon had been rejected after internal discussions and insisted that the alliance has only one recognised leadership.
The leadership dispute is not new. In August 2024, a faction of the alliance also announced Kon’s removal, accusing him of violating the group’s rules and overstaying in the chairmanship. Kon’s allies rejected that move as unconstitutional.
The latest dispute, however, comes at a more politically sensitive moment, following Kon’s declaration of his presidential ambitions and his criticism of the ruling SPLM.
The alliance is one of the political groupings that signed the 2018 peace agreement as part of the OPP bloc. Kon was appointed third deputy speaker of parliament under the power-sharing arrangements established by the agreement.
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