The fate of five candidates vying for election as Luweero District Woman MP is hanging in balance because of irregularities in their nomination exercise. Elizabeth Lugudde Nabatanzi, one of the candidates has petitioned Electoral Commission to eject her rivals from the race for failure to sign the oath on their nomination papers.
They are Brenda Nabukenya of Democratic Party, FDC’s Ziadah Gwokyala, Rebecca Nalwanga NRM, Elsie Namagembe and Anna Asimwe Kirabo both independents. In her petition submitted to Peter Kasozi, Luweero District Returning Officer, Lugudde contends that her rivals failed to fulfill section 5 of commissioner of oath (advocate act) and the nomination guidelines in the parliamentary election act.
She says that one can only be declared duly nominated after signing the oath. She says that the failure by her rivals to sign the oath makes their nomination null and void. Lugudde wants Electoral Commission to cancel the nomination of her rivals and declare her the soul candidate in the race or else she sues the electoral body for incompetence.
Kasozi, Nakaseke District Returning officer admits that the five candidates didn’t sign the oath of nomination but says that he does not think this can lead to their disqualification. Kasozi says that he has forwarded the petition to electoral commission chairman Engineer Badru Kigunddu and the legal team for advice.
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Ziadah Gwokyala, one of the affected candidates blames the electoral commission for the mess. She claims that the nomination papers lacked space for the candidates to sign. Elsie Namagembe, another candidate says that the petition is baseless and should be trashed.
Namagembe insists that she signed on the provisional papers provided by the Electoral Commission and urges her rival to interpret the law fairly. The Luweero Woman MP seat fell vacant after high court found Rebecca Nalwanga, the incumbent guilty of voter bribery. The bye election is set for November 21.
