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UPC’s Odur was duly elected Erute South MP, Court rules
MP Jonathan Odur (in blue suit) treks with his supporters after the court ruling on September 17, 2021. PHOTO/BILL OKETCH
What you need to know:
- Four candidates participated in the said election including Mr Engola, Mr Odur, Mr Johnson Adupa Orec (Ind) and Caxton Etii (Ind).
The High Court in Lira has on Friday dismissed with costs an election petition challenging the election of Mr Jonathan Odur as the Erute South Member of Parliament over lack of substantial evidence.
The petition number 002 of 2021 filed by Mr Sam Engola of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party emerged from the general election conducted by the Electoral Commission in Erute South Constituency on January 14, 2021.
Four candidates participated in the said election including Mr Engola, Mr Odur, Mr Johnson Adupa Orec (Ind) and Caxton Etii (Ind).
According to the results declared by the electoral body, Mr Engola got 15,606 votes, Mr Odur polled 17,763 votes and Mr Adupa and Etii managed 787 and 328 votes, respectively.
However, the former minister of state for Housing and Urban Development, dissatisfied with the results ran to court and filed a petition on grounds that the electoral body did not conduct the said election in compliance with the provisions of the 1995 Constitution of Uganda (as amended) and the Parliamentary Elections Act 17 of 2005.
On Friday, Justice Vincent Emmy Mugabo ruled: “Having found that the election of the Member of Parliament for Erute South Constituency was conducted in compliance with the electoral laws and that no electoral offence on the part of the second respondent (Mr Odur) and or his agents, was committed, it is the finding of this court that the allegations of this petition were not proved to the satisfaction of the court and the petition is accordingly dismissed with costs.”
Mr Odur’s lawyer Geoffrey Komakech welcomed the ruling.
“I can assure you me and my colleague are going to sit and file a bill. We are going to put a very big bill which he (Mr Engola) must pay. We expect him to pay about Shs500 million,” Mr Komakech told Daily Monitor in an interview.
