The hearing of election petitions in the February parliamentary elections in the Acholi region ended on Thursday last week with four Members of Parliament(MP) fending off an assault on their seats.
At least four MPs the 10th Parliament from Acholi were dragged to court by their political rivals, challenging their election victory. Of these, only Lucy Achiro Otim of Aruu North had her election nullified. The legislators were accused of voters’ bribery, voters’ intimidation, faulting parliamentary election laws and destroying voting materials.
However the presiding judge, Justice David Matovu, the Mbarara resident High Court judge who listened to petition cases at the Gulu high court dismissed all the petitions except of Mrs Otim of Aruu North County.
Mrs Otim (Independent) was thrown out of Parliament by Justice Matovu two weeks ago after James Nabinson Kidega, (NRM) successfully challenged her victory.
In another election petition, Edward Otto Makmot, Agago South MP citizenship was challenged by Charles Komakech Oto- Odera, one of the aspirants for Agago South Constituency after he won the hotly contested race for the seat.
Oto-Odera argued that Makmot is a Canadian and should have not have been nominated to contest for the parliamentary race. Otto, a lawyer by profession relocated and lived in Canada from 1996 but returned to Uganda in 2013 ahead of the 2016 general election.
According to Oto-Odera, Makmot holds a Canadian passport and that means he is not a citizen of Uganda.
However Makmot countered that he possesses dual citizenship and that he is a Ugandan by decent and a Canadian by registration.
Justice David Matovu dismissed Oto- Odera’s application with costs ruling that Makmot proved that he is a Ugandan.
In another petition before same court, Jacob Oulanyah, the Omoro County MP who doubles as the Deputy Speaker of Parliament also survived being kicked out of parliament. The petition against Oulanyah was thrown out for lack of substantial evidence. The judge ordered the petitioner, Simon Toolit Akecha, the FDC party flag bearer who disputed Oulanyah’s victory on grounds of vote rigging and faulting parliamentary election, to meet the costs of the petition.
Others who were exonerated by court are Reagan Okumu, the Aswa County who was sued by Christopher Acire, the former Gulu Municipality had dragged Okumu on grounds that he portrayed him as an incapable person who cannot be trusted.
The former Leader of Opposition, Prof Morris Ogenga- Latigo, the new Agago North constituency in Agago district, also survived a petition that had been brought by his challenger Amos John Okot. In his ruling delivered on Thursday last week, Justice Matovu said he found no merit in the application in which Amos John Okot, a former MP aspirant for same constituency accused his political rival of defamation, voter’s bribery and contravening the election laws.
The petitions against five of 25 legislators from Acholi caused the suspension of election of leaders of the Acholi Parliamentary Group (APG), a caucus which brings together members of parliament from the Acholi sub region. Prof Ogenga- Latigo is tipped to be the next chair of the APG.
