Rebecca Joshua Okwaci and Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth, two prominent allies of President Salva Kiir, have suffered setbacks after losing their respective races in the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) primaries in Upper Nile State.
Both politicians, known for their support for President Kiir, lost their bids for the ruling party’s tickets to contest parliamentary seats ahead of the December 22, 2026 general elections, raising questions about their influence at the grassroots.
Okwaci lost to Yoanes Abon in the contest for the SPLM ticket to represent Panyikang County in the national parliament, while Gatkuoth was defeated by Gach Wuol Guandong in Longechuk County.
Their losses come at a time when the ruling party is selecting candidates for the upcoming elections, testing whether political experience, national prominence and loyalty to the party leadership are enough to secure support from local party members.
Although both politicians have held senior government positions and maintained prominent roles within the SPLM, their defeats highlight the challenges facing established figures seeking to retain their political influence.
Rebecca Okwaci’s defeat in Panyikang
In Panyikang County, veteran politician Rebecca Joshua Okwaci lost the SPLM primary to Yoanes Abon, according to reports from the area.
Okwaci has spent decades in public service and is widely associated with the liberation struggle through her work with Radio SPLA, where she became known as the “Voice of the Revolution.”
Her career later took her into government, where she served as Deputy Minister of General Education, Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services, and Minister of Roads and Bridges.
In September 2021, President Salva Kiir appointed her SPLM Chief Whip in the Transitional National Legislative Assembly, placing her at the centre of the party’s parliamentary affairs.
She has also been involved in peacebuilding and women’s empowerment initiatives, including work with Sudanese women’s organisations.
Despite this long record of public service, Okwaci failed to secure the party ticket for Panyikang County.
The contest was conducted through a show-of-support voting method, in which supporters lined up behind their preferred candidates before being counted. The candidate with the larger number of supporters won.
Reports from the area indicated that Okwaci received limited support during the exercise, although independently verified vote totals were not immediately available.
Her defeat raises questions about the extent to which her national profile, political experience and years of service translated into support among local party members.
For a politician whose career has been closely linked to the SPLM’s liberation history, the outcome marks a difficult moment as the party prepares for a national electoral contest.
Gatkuoth’s double political blow
In Longechuk County, former Minister of Petroleum and Minister of Public Service Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth also lost his bid for the SPLM ticket to contest a geographical constituency seat at the national parliament.
According to a statement published on his Facebook timeline on Thursday, October 22, Gatkuoth received 44 votes against 131 secured by his rival, Gach Wuol Guandong.
The result followed an earlier voting exercise that was reportedly nullified after Gatkuoth lodged a complaint with the committee overseeing the primaries.
Accounts from the area indicated that he had initially received 40 votes before the exercise was repeated.
However, the second round also ended in defeat, leaving his ambition to secure a seat in the national legislature in jeopardy.
Gatkuoth is a veteran of the SPLM/SPLA who previously represented the movement in the United States, Canada and at the United Nations before South Sudan’s independence.
He later served as South Sudan’s ambassador to the United States and the United Nations from 2005 to 2011.
In August 2016, he was appointed Minister of Petroleum, a position he held until President Kiir relieved him in June 2019.
His political career has also included involvement in the SPLM-IO and the peace negotiations that led to the 2018 revitalised peace agreement.
These roles gave him considerable experience in diplomacy, government and the peace process. However, that national profile did not translate into victory in Longechuk.
Gatkuoth has often made outspoken declarations in support of President Kiir, including the phrase “My tribe is President Kiir.”
He had previously expressed confidence in his ability to defeat challengers, but the primary results have delivered a different outcome.
In his response, Gatkuoth acknowledged the results and called for unity, peace and reconciliation among SPLM members.
He also commended the SPLM High-Level Committee, led by Magueth Deng Kuol, for overseeing the exercise in Longechuk, while raising concerns about alleged misinformation and intimidation during the process.
His response points to the importance of reconciliation within the party as it moves towards the general elections.
The setback was compounded by the reported defeat of his wife, Dr Martha Martin, who lost her contest to Nyakang Yong Kier.
The two losses represent a blow to the couple’s political ambitions in Longechuk and Maiwut counties.
For Gatkuoth, the results are a reminder that experience in government and prominence at the national level do not automatically guarantee support from party members at the grassroots.
A warning to the old guard?
The defeats of Okwaci and Gatkuoth come as the SPLM conducts internal elections to select candidates for the December 22, 2026 general elections.
According to the party’s Secretary-General, more than 800 aspirants picked nomination forms to contest positions ranging from governorships and chief administrators to geographical constituencies, party lists and women’s lists.
The nomination exercise ran from October 5 to 9, paving the way for primaries and party congresses across the country’s three regions: Upper Nile, Bahr el Ghazal and Equatoria.
The process is intended to determine which aspirants will carry the ruling party’s flag into the elections.
However, the results in Upper Nile have shown that established political figures are not guaranteed victory in internal party contests.
For years, senior politicians have drawn on their experience, political connections, previous government appointments and proximity to the party leadership to maintain their influence.
The primaries are now testing whether those advantages remain sufficient as the SPLM prepares for a national electoral contest.
The defeats of Okwaci and Gatkuoth could suggest that some party members are looking beyond familiar names when choosing their representatives.
However, two defeats alone cannot establish a wider rejection of veteran politicians across the country. The outcomes may also reflect local alliances, candidate mobilisation, community dynamics and the circumstances surrounding each contest.
What is clear is that the results have dealt a setback to two figures whose careers have largely been shaped by national politics.
Questions over the primary process
The results also place attention on the SPLM’s ability to conduct credible internal elections and manage competition among its members.
For the primaries to command confidence, the party must ensure that results reflect the choices of members and that complaints are handled transparently.
Gatkuoth’s reported concerns about misinformation and intimidation underline the importance of addressing allegations of irregularities fairly.
At the same time, candidates’ willingness to accept results and encourage reconciliation could help preserve party unity ahead of the general elections.
The challenge for the SPLM leadership is to ensure that the primaries serve as a meaningful opportunity for members to choose their representatives rather than merely a procedural step towards the elections.
The party’s performance in December will depend not only on the candidates it fields but also on the confidence its members have in the selection process.
What next for the two politicians?
For Okwaci, a veteran journalist and liberation-era figure, and Gatkuoth, a former diplomat and minister, the primary results mark a significant interruption to their political ambitions.
Their years of service remain part of South Sudan’s political history, but the contests have demonstrated that past positions and political alliances do not guarantee future success in party elections.
The question is whether their defeats are isolated cases or early signs of changing political dynamics within the ruling party.
As the primaries continue across Upper Nile, Bahr el Ghazal and Equatoria, attention will turn to whether other established politicians face similar challenges from less familiar contenders.
Are SPLM members beginning to turn away from the old political guard, or do the defeats of Okwaci and Gatkuoth reflect local political dynamics?
The remaining primaries may offer a clearer picture.
For now, the results in Upper Nile deliver a clear message: even prominent allies of President Kiir must compete for the support of party members if they hope to secure a place on the ballot in December.
The post From Rebecca Okwaci to Ezekiel Lol: SPLM Upper Nile heavyweights fall in primary elections first appeared on Eye Radio.