Gulu university returning officer detained
A student casts his vote on Saturday during the Gulu University guild elections held at the University main campus in Gulu Town. PHOTO BY JULIUS OCUNGI
Police are holding Gulu University returning officer Edmond Okello over allegations of interfering with the guild presidential elections.
Okello was picked on Saturday evening shortly after announcing Mr Johnson Nowe as the winner of the hotly contested guild elections held on Saturday.
Mr Nowe, a third year student of Medicine and Surgery garnered 1,403 votes, according to the results read by Mr Okello.
Nowe defeated his close rival Samuel Oyet Agwani, a second year student pursuing Bachelor of Arts in Education who got 750 votes. He will now replace outgoing guild president Daniel Mbazira.
Other candidates
Imuran Ntambazi Java, who identified himself with People Power movement got 398 votes, Mr Alexander Okidi, a second year student pursuing Bachelor of Development Studies, garnered 158 votes while Moses Etyak, a second year student of Bachelor of Computer Science who came last with only 79 votes.
However after the results were announced, some of the contestants and their supporters accused Mr Okello of helping Nowe to rig elections.
They also complained that the number of ballot papers printed were less than the required numbers which made many students to miss voting.
Mr Okello was later whisked away by police after the students tried to beat him up.
The Aswa River Region Police Spokesperson Jimmy Patrick Okema told Daily Monitor that Okello is detained at Gulu central police station to prevent students from attacking him.
"We carried out a preventive arrest because he was under threat from angry students. We shall free him when the situation is calm," Mr Okema said.
The Spokesperson Gulu University electoral commission, Mr Emmanuel Ochan admitted that the ballot papers printed were less and blamed Okello for the mistakes.
He noted that they had expected 5,000 ballot papers but only 3,000 were printed adding that by 4pm, voting had already stopped despite many students who had not yet cast their votes.
A total of 4,700 students registered to vote for the guild elections.
"Many students especially in the faculty of Humanity missed out because the ballot papers were over. The decision to print the ballot papers was solely in the hands of the returning officer and we wonder why he printed less," Mr Ochan said.
