Africa-Press – Uganda. In his August 5 petition, Hajj Iddi Lubyayi Kisiki contends that he won the race to carry the NRM party flag for the parliamentary seat but the NRM electoral commission instead announced his rival, Ms Ruth Katushabe, as the winner.
One of the contestants in the hotly contested National Resistance Movement primaries in Bukomansimbi North has petitioned the Kampala High Court, saying he was the duly elected parliamentary flag bearer for 2021-26.In his August 5 petition, Hajj Iddi Lubyayi Kisiki contends that he won the race to carry the NRM party flag for the parliamentary seat but the NRM electoral commission instead announced his rival, Ms Ruth Katushabe, as the winner.
“A declaration that the nullification of plaintiff’s victory (Hajji Lubyayi) as the NRM parliamentary flag bearer for Bukomansimbi North constituency 2021-26 was illegal, irrational and unlawful,” reads in part the court documents.
“A declaration that the 2nd defendant’s (NRM) and presentation of the 1st defendant (Ms Katushabe) as the NRM flag bearer for Bukomansimbi North constituency 2021-26 was fraudulent and unlawful,” the petition adds.In his petition, Hajj Lubyayi claims that he won the party elections with 9,115 votes against his main challenger, Ms Katushabe, who polled 7,255 votes.He further contends that after his rival learnt that she had lost the party primaries, she complained to the NRM, claiming that some of her votes were not added to the final tally.
Court documents further show that evidence was adduced at the hearing of Hajj Lubyayi’s complaint before the Disputes Tribunal, showing that all the results of the election were included in the final tally.“The 1st (Ms Katushabe) and 2nd defendants (NRM), hatched a fraudulent plan to overturn the plaintiff’s victory (Hajji Lubyayi) by creating ghost villages with votes only in her favour,” Hajj Lubyayi alleges in the court documents.
The ghost villages allegedly created included Kabulasoke, Bukayo, Makoni, Kyabamugigishe, Mifunwa, Bpama and Nyaziza.Further, court documents show that the NRM inflated votes at Nakatooke Village in favour of Ms Katushabe.By press time, the court had not yet summoned NRM and Ms Katushabe to file their defence before a hearing date can be fixed.
