The Electoral Commission (EC) has asked the police to expedite investigations into the beating of David Stephen Omagor, an aspirant for the Bukedea LCV Chairperson race.
Omagor was beaten by unknown people in front of the Bukedea EC office on Tuesday.
The incident occurred at the entrance to the Bukedea District Returning Officer’s office, where Omagor was heading for nomination. The attackers also seized all his necessary nomination documents.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the EC Chairperson, Justice Simon Byabakama Mugenyi said that the violence meted on the aspirant was uncalled for.
“The Electoral Commission strongly condemns this act as intolerant, unaccepted, and criminal because it infringes on the rights of citizens to freely participate in electoral activities. Such violent conduct also damages our democratic and electoral processes,” Justice Byabakama said.
Justice Byabakama urged the Police to expedite the investigations into the matter and take appropriate action against the perpetrators of violence in Bukedea district.
“The Commission further urges the candidates, their agents, and supporters to refrain from any acts of aggression and violence and comply with the law by observing electoral guidelines in order to achieve a peaceful by-election,” Byabakama adds.
Omagor and Salim Okwii, the Uganda Peoples’ Congress – UPC aspirant, were denied nomination by Suleiman Kato, the Returning Officer managing the Bukedea by-election after failing to present the required documents. Omagor’s documents were seized by the attackers while Okwii failed to present the signed supporters’ forms.
Meanwhile, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party is questioning the academic qualifications of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate for the Bukedea LCV Chairperson race, Mary Akol.
In a letter signed by the party’s Secretary General, Nathan Nandala- Mafabi, the party says that Akol presented a plain Diploma in Social Work and Social Administration from the Markland Institute of Business, without a certificate from the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) to confirm whether the paper is an equivalence of an Advanced Level Standard within the Provisions of Chapter 243, Section 111(3) e of the Local Government Act Cap 2015 as Amended. The party wants Akol’s nomination canceled.
“It is our prayer that the said Akol Mary be disqualified as a candidate since she has not presented the requisite academic papers for nomination as a candidate for the position of LCV Chairperson of Bukedea district,” the letter reads.
Although the letter was received by the Electoral Commission Security Registry, no formal communication has been issued by the Commission in regard to the FDC letter, by the time of filing this story.
Bukedea’s LCV Chairperson’s by-election is scheduled for June 14, 2023. Only three out of seven people who expressed interest in the seat were nominated and are now conducting campaigns in the 16 sub-counties making up Bukedea district.
The nominated candidates are Sam Oita Odeke of the Forum for Democratic Change- FDC, Mary Akol of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), and Tychicus Lokwiisk Ebukalim, an Independent- NRM leaning candidate.
The Bukedea LCV Chairperson seat fell vacant after the death of Moses Olemukan in December.
Olemukan, a member of NRM quit his party after losing in the primaries. He later beat the flag bearer, William Wilberforce Tukei, now RDC, to secure his second term.