Uganda People's Congress escaped to London and Obote declared himself President of Uganda. This action more than anything else began the decline of the UPC as a popular party in Uganda. As his unpopularity grew Obote increasingly turned to his Northern home support rather than trying to strengthen the party in the South. The 1969 elections were cancelled and Obote became dictatorial. His government was overthrown in 1971 by Idi Amin. The UPC returned in 1979 after Idi Amin was overthrown. Obote as leader of the UPC was closely aligned to the Military Junta that had replaced Idi Amin and rather than strengthen
David Oyite-Ojok the '..newly created post of Assistant Military Secretary in the Ministry of Defence,' serving as a Major. His duties included '..planning, all policy matters, and control of Establishment.' When Idi Amin overthrew Obote in 1971, Oyite Ojok was amongst the military personnel who fled to neighbouring Tanzania and, eight years later, in the wake of Amin's 1979 invasion of the country, assumed a key role in the grouping of military exiles who, with the backing of Tanzanian troops, led the counteroffensive which resulted in the overthrow of Amin. Oyite Ojok became a member, along with Yoweri Museveni, Paulo Muwanga and