Electoral Commission upholds nomination of Bukedea LC5 candidates

The Electoral Commission (EC) has upheld the nomination of all candidates in the Bukedea LCV days after an opposition party filed a petition against some of the aspirants.

Petitioners questioned the candidature ruling NRM party’s Mary Akol, Lokwiisk Tychicus Ebukalin (Ind) and opposition FDC’s Oita Sam Odeke with the trio duly nominated by the EC on Monday.

The petitions

In the petitions, FDC on June 7 challenged the nomination of NRM candidate Akol citing her lack of qualification papers for dismissal from the race.

The party claimed that Akol only presented a plain diploma certificate on social work and social administration from Markland Institute of Business and Management, without a certificate from the National Council of Higher Education (NHCE) to confirm whether the academic document was equivalent to the standard UACE document per the constitution.

In the other petition, Bukedea voter Joseph sought the disqualification of FDC’s Oita and the Independent candidate Ebukalin on grounds that during their nomination, they did not present Local Council one letters to confirm that they were bona fide residents of Bukedea.

The complainant also raised concern that the two candidates did not submit their Income tax clearance certificates and the required two thirds of signatures as required by the law.

On Friday, lawyers of the accused filed defence hours before the EC encouraged the nominated to carry on with their campaigns.

“The petitions were dismissed so all nominations were upheld,” Bukedea District registrar Suleiman Kato told Monitor on Saturday although he referred this reporter to the EC chiefs for further queries.

“The decisions are just copied to me. It’s the commission that made those decisions and you know I’m not a member of the commission. All that I can confirm is that all the nominated candidates were cleared to run in the race,” he said.

Kato also urged Bukedea people to remain peaceful and turn up to cast their votes on June 14 “now that the confusion has been cleared.”

Omagor to be cleared

Meanwhile, Kato also confirmed that David Steven Omagor is set to be cleared following two unsuccessful attempts on Monday and Tuesday.

“Omagor was allowed to be nominated as long as he comes with all the requirements by 10am on Sunday,” Kato noted.

Omagor’s nomination was delayed on Monday after suspected men in police in uniform broke into his residence and stole his electoral items and over Shs160m. A day later, his nomination was also rendered impossible during chaotic scenes in which goons beat him from the Bukedea EC offices.

If successfully nominated on Sunday, he will be the fourth person in a by-election to replace Moses Olemukan who died in December 2022.