EC expels two parliamentary candidates in Terego district

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Electoral Commission has expelled two candidates from the Terego East constituency parliamentary race citing discrepancies in their documents. They are Martin Andua, the Alliance for National Transformation-ANT candidate and Egama Sam Raxton Adrapi, an independent.

The Terego district returning officer officially received the two copies of the denomination papers from the Electoral Commission headquarters on Thursday morning. The decision to denominate the two candidates stemmed from a petition by Emmanuel Candia, a concerned voter in Terego East constituency who asked the commission to nullify their candidature saying the names on their academic documents don’t match those on the voter’s register.

According to the Commission letter, Egama Sam Raxton Adrapi presented “O” and “A” level documents in the names of Egama Sam Raxton while Andua Martin Drani presented papers in the names of Andua Martin. A hearing was held at the EC headquarters in Kampala on November 30th, 2020 with the candidates to hear their side of the story. The commission indeed discovered discrepancies in the candidate’s names.

“In view of the foregoing, the commission under minute comp. 197 (a) 2020 resolved that the candidate was ineligible to participate in the above-captioned nomination and accordingly, the commission reversed the decision of the returning officer Terego electoral district of nominating the respondent” reads the letter addressed to Egama Sam Raxton Adrapi signed by the Electoral Commission chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama in part.

Innocent Nyeko, the Terego returning officer acknowledged serving the two candidates with copies of their expulsion letters.

Sam Egama told URN shortly after receiving the expulsion letter that the contested names are the ones he used in the 2016 elections. He wonders why the same commission that nominated him in 2016 is raising queries on his names.

Martin Andua Drani, says the petitioner Emmanuel Candia was used by their opponents saying they will battle it out in court.

The expulsion of Martin Andua and Sam Egama comes a day after the commission denominated two candidates from the Bududa Woman parliamentary elections over the same grounds.

Agness Khainza Shiuma and Esther Wetsese Lois were ejected following a petition by their rival, Justine Khainza citing variations in names on the academic certificates, they presented for their nomination and national voter’s register.
******

URN