HIGH COURT, MBALE: The former Mbale City Woman MP candidate Lydia Wanyoto Mutende has petitioned the High Court in Mbale seeking for the nullification of Connie Kayenze Galiwango’s victory citing vote rigging and irregularieites in the Jan 14 elections.
Wanyoto, the , former National Chairperson of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Women’s League, who held the party ticket, was defeated by Connie Galiwango with a range of over 20,000 votes.
The Mbale District Returning Officer declared Galiwango the winner, after scoring 40,702 votes (53.2%) while Wanyoto managed to poll got 25,276 votes (33%).
Galiwango, who had lost the NRM ticket to Wanyoto, decided to come back as an Independent candidate in the final race, citing discrepancies in the primaries.
Days after declaration of the winner, Wanyoto told reporters in a press conference at her home that her victory had been robbed by Galiwango whom she accused of ordering the brutalization of her (Wanyoto’s) polling agents.
“My polling agents from Bugema, Nakaloke, Bukasakya and Bungokho-Mutoto sub counties were beaten by the supporters of Nakayenze and destroyed my DR forms. I can’t accept the results and we are going to Courts of Law to challenge this because I believe that I won the race but the Electoral Commission declared a wrong person,” she said.
In her election petition filed to Mbale High Court yesterday March 2, Wanyoto filed 123 affidavits, which she said contained all the evidence that is enough to nullify the victory and order for vote recount.
Her lawyers lead by Eddy Mauso Ngule of N Mugoda Advocates told reporters shortly after filing the petition that they are sure of winning the case basing on the evidence they have presented.
“The entire voting process was hijacked by the second respondent, beating, intimidating, ferrying materials, tampering with materials, our evidence (videos and photographs) shows how boxes were opened,” Ngule said.
He added that within ten days, the Court is likely to set the first hearing date of the Case if Galiwango’s side responds to their affidavits.
“Within ten days, they will have filed their replies and if they don’t, the Court will determine the matter but if they have their replies, then the Court shall set the date for first hearing,” he noted.
Wanyoto has paraded three law firms; N Mugoda Advocates, Springs Advocates and Mugabi Shaka Advocates, in this particular case.
“As NRM party, we are going to use all means of regaining our victory,” she said.
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