Africa-Press – Uganda. The NRM Election Disputes Tribunal has dismissed petitions challenging Benjamin Cadet’s victory as the party’s flagbearer for Bunyaruguru constituency, upholding his win amid allegations of electoral malpractice.
The National Resistance Movement (NRM) Election Disputes Tribunal has upheld the victory of Hon.
Benjamin Cadet as the party’s flag bearer for Bunyaruguru Constituency in Rubirizi District, dismissing two consolidated petitions challenging the integrity of the July 17, 2025, primary elections.
The petitions were filed by the incumbent MP Hon. Twesigye John Ntamuhiira and Hon. David Katureebe Tugume, the son of former Chief Justice Benjamin Odoki Katureebe.
They alleged widespread electoral malpractices, including forgery of Declaration of Results (DR) forms, voter bribery, intimidation, and failure by the NRM Electoral Commission to conduct a free and fair election.
They sought annulment of the results or declaration of Twesigye as the rightful flag bearer.
According to official results, Cadet Benjamin won with 18,020 votes (61%), followed by Twesigye with 9,971 votes (33%) and Katureebe with 1,791 votes (6%).
A key issue in the petitions was the allegation that all DR forms were unlawfully stamped with the official seal of the Rubirizi Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Brone Kyikanshemeza, compromising electoral neutrality.
The petitioners accused the RDC of interfering in polling areas such as Nyakihanda, Kagyezi, and Bukyaba by using military personnel to intimidate agents and voters.
They also claimed votes were counted improperly and that underage and unregistered persons voted.
The petitioners denied authorizing the RDC’s stamp, dismissing meeting minutes presented by the respondent’s legal team as misleading or forged, and alleged voter bribery involving Cadet Benjamin’s agents. They cited statements made by Benjamin at rallies boasting a rigging plan to win “at all costs.”
The respondent’s lawyers from JB Byamukama and Company Advocates, led by Jude Byamukama, Philip Mwesiga, and Rogers Paul Katunguka, refuted all claims as baseless and unsupported by evidence.
They argued the RDC’s stamp was agreed upon by all candidates as a uniform authentication method, supported by signed minutes from a June 30 security meeting.
The Tribunal accepted these minutes as authentic, noting no protest was raised at the time.
The defense maintained the RDC’s role was limited to security oversight, with no formal complaints or evidence of intimidation or bribery presented.
They highlighted that even excluding disputed polling stations, Benjamin’s margin of over 8,000 votes remained decisive.
In its ruling, the Tribunal found that the petitioners failed to prove any irregularities sufficiently serious to affect the election outcome.
It rejected claims that the RDC’s stamp invalidated results or that intimidation and bribery reversed the voters’ will.
“The law is clear: irregularities alone do not vitiate an election unless they are shown to have had a substantial effect on the outcome,” the Tribunal stated.
As a result, the Tribunal dismissed petitions Numbers 375 and 379 of 2025 and upheld Cadet Benjamin’s declaration as the duly elected NRM flag bearer.
Tribunal Chairperson John Musiime and panel members Martin Mbanza Kalemera, Deborah Nshemereirwe, and Kenneth Kipaalu signed the ruling, ending weeks of legal and political dispute in one of Rubirizi’s most hotly contested primaries.
Speaking to journalists, lead counsel Jude Byamukama welcomed the decision, emphasizing that all candidates had agreed to use the RDC’s stamp to prevent forgery.
“We are very happy and that’s what we expected because in terms of the law and the evidence, the petitions against Cadet Benjamin were wanting,” said Byamukama..
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