Omoro MP winner did not participate in poll, court told

Mr Simon Toolit Akecha (R) consults his lawyer at Gulu High Court last week before he went missing. Photo By Julius Ocungi

GULU- Lawyers representing Simon Toolit Akecha (FDC), who is challenging the declaration of the Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanyah as the winner of the Omoro County parliamentary seat, have told court that the names of the person who was declared winner are different from the one who was nominated.

Mr Charles Dalton Opwonya told court presided over by Mbarara resident judge David Matovu that the Gulu District Electoral Commission Registrar, Mr Benson Obete, declared Oulanyah Jacob Collins, as the winner and yet no such name appeared among the candidates who were dully nominated for the Omoro County race.

“None of such name was on the ballot paper. The person who won the race for Omoro parliamentary seat is not yet to be known, relying on a document (form) that Obete used to declare Oulanyah winner,” Mr Opwonya told court.

One of the nominated candidates for the Omoro County seat was Jacob Oulanyah L’Okori (NRM). Others were; Toolit, Walter Lamony, (Independent), Collins Job Okello (TDA), Dick Owani (Independent). Mr Oulanyah was declared winner with 8,218 votes against Toolit’s 6,823 votes.

The lawyer told court that Mr Oulanyah was declared winner before the total number of the votes from all the polling stations were tallied. The Returning Officer declared the winner without giving the number of votes each candidate scored as it has always been the case, Mr Opwonya argued.

Mr Deo Kizito Mukwaya, another lawyer for Toolit tasked Mr Obete to explain to court why the declaration of result forms do not have EC logo yet all the official documents of the electoral body carry them.

“I am wondering why Obete’s ID (identity card) has a logo for the EC but the declaration of results forms that were used in the February elections have nothing,” Mr Mukwaya asked.
However, Mr Obete denied all the allegations and said he never forged results to favour one of the candidate. “EC did not award votes to Oulanyah in bid to rob Toolit of victory,” Mr Obete said.

Mr Obete admitted that there was an error in the name of the winner but dismissed the question of variance, adding that the figures in the tally sheets, declaration of result forms and transmission of results forms to the EC headquarters in Kampala match.
Justice Matovu set June 8 for delivering his ruling.