FDC candidate pulls out of Bukedea LC5 race over fraud
Oita Sam Odeke (FDC) has withdrawn from the Bukedea LC5 by-election race citing fraud. Photo | File
What you need to know:
- Mr Oita says he decided to withdraw from the race after witnessing an irregular polling exercise marred by ballot stuffing at many polling stations as well as intimidation of the voters by the rival groups
The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party flag bearer in the Bukedea LCV by-election, Mr Oita Sam Odeke has withdrawn from the race, just hours in the course of the election exercise.
Mr Oita says he decided to do so after witnessing an irregular polling exercise marred by ballot stuffing at many polling stations as well as intimidation of the voters by the rival groups.
“By 5:00am they had already finished ‘voting’ and boxes were already full of ballots ticked in favour of the NRM candidate. I cannot continue to be in such a race, I have already informed the Electoral Commission about my decision,” he told the Monitor on Wednesday.
Mr Oita noted that the manipulated polling exercise has denied the people of Bukedea their right to choose their leader and speaks to the fact that democracy is under attack by a few people with authority.
“However no matter the outcome, the people of Bukedea have been witnesses to this wickedness and they shall punish the perpetrators in 2026,” he said.
Ebukalin cries foul
Speaking to the Monitor at 10:30am, Independent candidate Lokwissk Tychicus Ebukalin said he had visited a number of polling stations in at least nine sub-counties out of 16 across the district to monitor the polling exercise.
“To be honest, the polling exercise has been overrun by security forces under the command of the RDC. I arrived at Bukedea Township Primary School polling station and the polling officials there said their phones had been confiscated. By 8am, all 530 ballots meant for the station had been ticked and voters were just being turned away,” he said.
He is, however, happy that locals had avoided direct confrontation with the security forces in pursuit of their rights.
Mr Oscar Gregg Ageca, the East Kyoga police spokesperson, told the Monitor that the situation on the ground was normal and they had not yet registered any major incident by 11:00am.
“Apart from yesterday’s arrest of the LC3 chairperson of Kamutur, Mr Jackson Ojekede for distributing bribes to voters, the situation is still calm and normal,” he said.
Mr Paul Bukenya, the EC Spokesperson, said by 6:00am all polling materials for the 180 polling stations had been delivered to the polling stations.
He advised those with complaints about the election exercise to lodge them with the EC complaints desk by the close of business today.
