EC nullifies Kibale NUP candidate, declares rival winner 

The Electoral Commission (EC) has nullified nomination of the National Unity Platform (NUP) parliamentary candidate for Kibale County seat in Kamwenge District after voters, who signed on his nomination forms, claimed they had signed in ignorance.

 “The Independent Electoral Commission that sat on October 30 reversed the decision of dully nominated Mr Gibson Amanya for Kibale County Member of Parliament in Kamwenge. I now declare Abigaba Cuthbert Mirembe as duly elected MP for Kibale County effective January 14,” Mr George William Magezi,  the district returning officer, announced on Wednesday.

Mr Magezi admitted that he duly nominated Mr Amanya on October 16 but said later during the inspection of nomination forms, two people Mr Charles Kakuru, the proposer, and Mr William Ainomugisha, the seconder, said they had been duped to sign the endorsement papers.
 He said for a candidate to be nominated for MP, one is required to have one proposer and a seconder and ten other supporters. 

Mr Magezi said the proposer and the seconder of Amanya later withdrew their signatures on his nomination, prompting the EC to nullify his nomination.
He said the Parliamentary Elections Act provides that where there are two contestants in an election and one is disqualified, the other is declared unopposed and winner.
The  duo petitioned the EC on  October 26 claiming that at the time of signing,  they thought they were signing for an NRM candidate, but they later learnt that they had nominated a NUP contender.

 Mr Amanya dismissed the petitioners’ claims that they were duped, saying the EC’s decision to nullify his candidature was  illegal and ridiculous.
He said the scheme against him started after his nomination when he received phone calls asking him to pull out of the race, which he rejected.
Mr Amanya said Mr Magezi called him over the same matter and told him he was needed at the EC headquarters in Kampala to answer queries about his nomination.

“I was asked how I got the people who signed on my nomination papers when they support NRM. I told the commission that before the people proposed me, supported my nomination, I consulted them. I did not send anybody to consult them and on the day of my nomination, they were present. I was shocked to hear that my opponent was declared winner,” Mr Amanya said yesterday.
He insisted he that despite the EC decision he was still a duly nominated candidate for Kibale County seat on NUP ticket, adding that he has forwarded his case to NUP legal team for advice and further action.

Mr Abigaba said he was excited by the EC decision, and denied that he was involved in the scheme to nullify his rival’s candidature.
“Some of the people who nominated my opponent petitioned the Electoral Commission because they were misrepresented. NUP does not have a single supporter in Kamwenge,” Mr Abigaba alleged.

“I don’t know the people who petitioned. I came to know this issue when I was called by the Electoral Commission that some people petitioned against my competitor and the Electoral Commission made a decision to denominate him,” he added.
Efforts to get a comment from the EC spokesperson, Mr Paul Bukenya, and NUP spokesperson Joel Ssenyonyi were futile.