Derrick Orone wins Gogonyo County by-election

Pallisa, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Derrick Orone has been declared the winner of the Gogonyo County Parliamentary by-election.

Orone defeated his rival Joseph Okoboi Opolot of the National Unity Platform-NUP party with 19,199 votes against Opolot’s 519 votes.

The by-election attracted three candidates but two of the candidates who were nominated to contest announced that they had withdrawn from the race. They include Okoboi and independent candidate Issa Bantalib Taligola who officially announced his withdrawal during a rally attended by President Yoweri Museveni in Obutete and Kaukura sub-counties in Pallisa district.

“Accordingly, as returning officer for Pallisa Electoral District and in accordance with Section 53 of the Parliamentary Elections Act, I declare that Derrick Orone who has obtained the largest number of votes to be the elected candidate for Gogonyo County constituency, Pallisa district,” Daniel Othieno, the Paliisa Returning officer declared.

He said the election was generally peaceful although there was low voter turnout.

On Wednesday, Paul Bukenya, the spokesperson of the Electoral Commission told URN that the Electoral Commission was set to conduct the by-election with two candidates in the race.

Bukenya said that the NUP candidate did not follow the right procedure in withdrawing his candidature and that the commission had not received any notification about his candidature.

Orone thanked his supporters and pledged to accomplish the projects that he had earlier started before the Court of Appeal ruled that he was irregularly elected in 2021 following a petition by his rival Taligola Bantalib.

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URN