NRM candidate takes early lead in Bukedea LC5 poll
Ms Mary Akol the NRM candidate Bukedea District chairperson by-election. Photo | File
What you need to know:
- Results found at most polling stations visited by this newspaper indicated that Mary Akol was leading by double-digit figures.
The NRM candidate in the Bukedea District chairperson by-election was last evening leading at most polling stations even as the opposition alleged that the exercise was marred by malpractice.
According to the preliminary results declared by the Electoral Commission from the various sub-counties, Ms Mary Akol was ahead of her two rivals by a bigger margin.
Results found at most polling stations visited by this newspaper also indicated that the NRM candidate was leading by double-digit figures.
For instance, at Obul Railway Polling Station in Kachumbala County, Ms Akol scored 464 votes, Mr Lokwiski Tychicus Ebukalin, an independent, got 41, while Mr Sam Oita Odeke of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) had 14.
At Sula Primary Polling Station, Ms Akol garnered 509 votes, Mr Ebukalin got only three and Mr Odeke got five votes. At Mukura Church of Uganda Polling Station, Ms Akol had 313 votes, against Mr Ebukalin’s one and Mr Odeke’s three.
However, there was low voter turnout across the district. This came hours after the Opposition FDC announced the withdrawal of their candidate, Mr Odeke, from the exercise, alleging vote stuffing and intimidation, among others.
Mr Patrick Amuriat Oboi, the FDC party president, who was monitoring the election, claimed all the ballot papers had been pre-ticked and the ballot boxes were already filled to the brim at most polling stations.
“Our intelligence sources point to the fact that the majority of these fraudulent ballot papers were pre-ticked from several schools around Bukedea and Bukedea Central Police Station on the night of June 13,” he added.
This publication could not independently verify this claim. The FDC leader said the election can only be characterised as yet another sham, devoid of transparency and legitimacy.
“Therefore, through this communication, we declare our official withdrawal from this sham election, we have instructed all our polling agents, polling supervisors and foot soldiers to withdraw immediately, we will not lend credibility to a process that is tainted by fraudulent practices,” he said.
Speaking to the Monitor early in the morning, Mr Ebukalin, the independent candidate, said he had visited a number of polling stations in nine sub-counties out of sixteen across the district to monitor the polling exercise.
Mr Ebuklain alleged that police and the military deployed to guard the polling exercise had overpowered the polling officials and were manipulating the results.
“To be honest, the polling exercise had been overrun by security forces together with RDCs,” he said. However, Mr Oscar Gregg Ageca, the East Kyoga regional police spokesperson, said the situation on the ground was normal and they had not yet recorded any violent incident by 11am.
“Apart from yesterday’s arrest of the LC3 chairperson of Kamutur, the situation is still calm and normal,” Mr Ageca said.
The NRM electoral chairperson, Dr Tanga Odoi, in an earlier media briefing, said the voting exercise was free and fair, adding that in some polling stations, some NRM supporters complained of inadequate ballot papers.
