By Stephine Opio
DOKOLO NORTH: The Dokolo North election saga has taken a dramatic turn as the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) candidate, Francis Ojok, has expressed his dissatisfaction with the official results.
According to section 77 (1) of the Parliamentary Elections Act. Cap 177, NRM’s Joseph Jones Ogwal emerged victorious with 8,845 votes, closely followed by Ojok with 8,607 votes.
Despite the district electoral returning officer declaring NRM’s Joseph Jones Ogwal as the winner of the parliamentary race, Ojok firmly claims that he is the rightful winner.
However, Ojok has raised concerns over the electoral process, stating that he has sufficient evidence to prove irregularities during the declaration of results.
Speaking at a press conference in Dokolo town council, Ojok declared his intention to seek legal redress, asserting that the people of Dokolo North have spoken and their decision cannot be stopped.
He thanked the voters for giving him a significant number of votes and encouraged them to remain confident in his victory.
Ojok has alleged that there were flaws in the electoral process, particularly in Agwata sub county, where he claims security agents interfered with the voting process by arresting his polling agents.
He further stated that he received massive support from various parties, including NRM, UPC, and FDC, but was not declared the winner due to the flawed processes.
The UPC candidate’s determination to claim what he termed as “his victory” in court has encouraged his people of Dokolo North not to be shaken and to trust in the justice system.
The declaration of Dokolo North Parliamentary election results by the Electoral Commission and rejection by UPC candidate Francis Ojok has caused a stir among his supporters, such as Ayena Tonny from Bata town council.
According to them, it was widely expected that Francis Ojok would be declared the winner in Dokolo North, but instead someone else was declared.
Joel Ojuka, a resident of Okwalongwen sub-county, expressed his disappointment and stated that the community stands behind Ojok as he prepares to take legal action.
He added that the declaration forms from all polling stations clearly show that Ojok is the rightful winner.
“It was a shock to everyone when a different candidate was announced as the winner” Ojuka explained.
Ojok’s complain started from the tally room immediately after the declaration of results but Moses Otim, the Dokolo District’s electoral returning officer, refused to accept the complain.
He stated that the legal protocol does not permit them to address electoral disputes once the results have been declared. Instead, he advised dissatisfied candidates to take their concerns to court of law.
