President Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni’s ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) has added to the number of their unopposed MPs after the Electoral Commission (EC) threw out a candidate of Maj Gen (Rtd) Gregg Mugisha Muntu’s Alliance for National Transformation (ANT), leaving NRM’s Joan Aniku Okia unopposed for the Madi Okollo District woman parliamentary race.
The EC disqualified Gloria Achiro after it emerged that she had forged signatures of her nominators such as Isaac Angubo and Aliya Katerena.
Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama, the EC chairperson, wrote to Achiro’s lawyer Alfred Aligezi of Kiiza and Kwanza Advocates on January 02 informing him that her client had been denominated.
Byabakama cited irregularities in the nomination forms, including in Angubo’s and Katerana’s signatures.
Okia had petitioned the EC on December 14, 2020, pointing out that Katerana’s and Angubo’s names that appeared on Achiro’s nomination papers’ copy had no signatures appended against them.
Yet the one in the returning officer’s possession had signatures which appeared forged.
Angubo and Katerana told the EC they had never written their names nor signed on Achiro’s nomination papers.
“In light of the above observations, it’s the Commission’s finding that both Aliya Katerena and Angubo Isaac did not support the nomination of Aciro Gloria and therefore Aciro Gloria did not obtain the required number of supporters required for her nomination,” Byabakama wrote to Achiro.
“The Commission under MIN. COMM. COMP.01/2021resolved to reverse the Returning officer’s decision and is directed to declare candidate Gloria Okia unopposed.”
Other unopposed NRM MPs include: Pius Wakabi (Bugahya County), Emely Kugonza (Buyanja East), Enock Nyongwe (Nakaseke ), Semwanga Gyavira (Buyamba), Hillary Lokwang (Ik County), Paparu Lilian Obare (Arua woman), Matia Kasaija (Buyanja), Anita Among (Bukedea), MP Frank Kagyigyi Tumwebaze (Kibaale East), Mary Begumisa (Ssembabule Woman), Cuthbert Abigaba Mirembe (Kibale), and Hilary Onek (Pian).
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