Uganda People’s Congress’s (UPC) Dr. Eunice Otuko Apio has today been declared winner of the Oyam Parliamentary by-election. UPC’s Apio has defeated National Resistance Movement’s (NRM) Samuel Engola despite the rampant voter bribery and violence allegedly from the NRM’s camp.
Richard Onoba, the Oyam District Returning Officer declared Apio winner with 15,718 votes followed by NRM’s Engola with 15,161. FDC’s Fred Newton Okello garnered 714 votes and Daniel Okello of NUP only gathered 403.
After declaring her winner, Apio said that she almost lost morale during the day following rampant violence acts and vote malpractices from different polling stations which were done in broad day light by armed security officers in civilian clothes.
“Many of my supporters have been imprisoned without any offense committed! Among those, are my polling agents who have spent a night in police custody, I will try to rescue them tomorrow,” she said.
“I also thank the Electoral Commission officials for their quick responses whenever we called on them,” Apio said.
Voting day filled with fracas
Unidentified armed men reportedly stormed the Wang Lobo polling station in Otwal sub-county, Oyam district causing chaos at the station.
According to the eye witnesses, these armed men forcibly ticked some ballot papers after putting the presiding officer, Walter Wacho, at gunpoint.
The Opposition accused the NRM party of ballot stuffing, as the armed men reportedly ticked five booklets containing 250 ballots.
Wacho explained that he surrendered the booklets to the men, who ticked the papers and instructed him to handle the accountability.
“I had no option but to give them five booklets. They went back to their vehicle and ticked the ballot papers, brought back 250 pre-ticked ballot papers and told me you do the accountability thing,” Wacho who seemed shocked narrated the ordeal.
North Kyoga Region Police spokesperson, Jimmy Patrick Okema, stated that he had not received a report on the incident and urged parties involved to make a formal complaint.
According to the Police, two suspects had also been arrested over alleged voter bribery amidst the allegations of voter bribery and violence in the constituency.
UPC president Jimmy Akena had demanded fresh election at the polling station in question.
Akena noted that security had impounded UPC motorbikes deployed to escort the ballot boxes to the polling stations that they were suspicious.
“But they cannot see anything suspicious about NRM ‘goons’ camped at a closed petrol station at 2:00am. Polling agents assaulted in Iceme TC,” he wondered.
Samuel Engola Okello, is a son of the slain minister, Charles Okello Engola that the ruling party picked as its flag bearer.
Charles Okello engola is the former State Minister for Labour, who was shot dead by his bodyguard, Private Wilson Sabiti in May this year.