In Soroti City East, the petition arose from the by-election conducted in July 2022 where the NRM Candidate, Herbert Edmund Ariko was declared the winner, beating the incumbent, FDC’s Moses Attan Okia.
The petitions drawn from Teso and Karamoja sub-regions include the Soroti East MP seat where Moses Attan Okia dragged Herbert Edmund Ariko and two others over the alleged election malpractices
Okia rejected the July 28, 2022 poll results promising to seek legal redress. This is the first time Okia, who has been running in the Soroti parliamentary race since 2011 is running to court.
The by-election that was characterized by scenes of violence and irregularities in the polling saw Ariko win with 9,407 votes against Attan’s 8,771 votes.
The comments by Ariko, a member of the ruling National Resistance Movement-NRM party follow his victory in a by-election held on Thursday. He polled 9, 407 votes and defeated his closest rival Moses Attan Okia who had 8,771 votes while Pascal Amuriat, the Uganda Peoples’ Congress-UPC party candidate got 115 votes.
In Omalera B Polling Station, where 42 voters had cast their votes, the agents and electoral officers discovered more than 200 ballot papers stuffed in the ballot box in favor of the NRM candidate Herbert Edmund Ariko.
Faith Apolot, an employee at Elisian Hotel, says that a joint security team comprising the police and army stormed the hotel around 11:30 pm, and everyone out.
During the candidate's briefing by the Electoral Commission and security agencies at Soroti University on Wednesday evening, Nathan Nandala Mafabi, the FDC Secretary General tasked the commission and security heads to explain why the numberless vehicles are on the streets.
Alupo joins a host of other government officials including the Prime Minister, Robbinah Nabbanja, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa, and the NRM bigwigs who have camped in Soroti to rally support for the NRM candidate.
On Thursday, Amuriat called off his first-day campaigns in Opiyai, Kengere, and Pioneer wards following the death of the UPC councilor in Opiyai ward. He again failed to turn up for the second day of campaigns at Kichinjaji and Akisim wards.
On Tuesday, the Electoral Commission in Soroti City nominated Herbert Edmund Ariko, the National Resistance Movement- NRM candidate, and Pascal Amuriat from the Uganda People’s Congress- UPC. This brings to three, the number of candidates nominated for the Soroti East by-election slated for July 28, 2022.
Attan, the first and the only candidate nominated on Monday, the first day of nominations for the Soroti East MP by-elections, told Journalists that unlike his competitor, Herbert Edmund Ariko, who was in Parliament at the time of the creation of Soroti City, he had no role in the creation or alteration of the boundaries.
Besides the NRM top officials led by the NRM Vice Chairperson for Eastern Uganda, Mike Mukula, and the party Secretariat headed by the director in charge of mobilization, Rosemary Sseninde, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa, the State Minister in charge of Economic Monitoring, Peter Ogwang and a host of MPs have also joined the campaigns.
On July 1, four voters petitioned the Electoral Commission Chairperson, Justice Simon Byabakama over the alleged illegal and unconstitutional act and omission tainting the planned by- election.
Paul Bukenya, the Electoral Commission spokesperson confirmed that the committee leadership is meeting the petitioners at the headquarters in Kampala today.
Addressing journalists shortly after the meeting, Captain Mike Mukula, the NRM Vice-Chairperson for Eastern Uganda, said that the decision to source for another flag bearer follows the performance of the 2021 candidate who fell far below the expected mark. When asked about the NRM Constitution, Mukula said that they will speak to Ekemu before making a final decision.
On Tuesday, the Court of Appeal upheld the High Court judgment nullifying the election of Moses Attan as the Soroti City East Member of Parliament. The Court of Appeal Judges Cheborion Barishaki, Stephen Musota, and Christopher Gashirabake also ordered Electoral Commission to conduct by-elections for Soroti City East.
When the matter came up for hearing on Thursday in the Court of Appeal, Attan through his lawyers led by Julius Galisonga said that a careful study of their client’s appeal shows that there are serious questions that warrant constitutional interpretation of his case if it is to be heard and determined on its merits.
