Video: Armed Men Hold Presiding Officer At Gun Point In Oyam North By-election
Unidentified armed men reportedly stormed the Wang Lobo polling station in Otwal sub-county, Oyam district causing chaos at the station.
According to the eyewitnesses, these armed men forcibly ticked some ballot papers after putting the presiding officer, Walter Wacho, at gunpoint.
The Opposition is accusing the NRM party of ballot stuffing, as the armed men reportedly ticked five booklets containing 250 ballots.
Wacho explained that he surrendered the booklets to the men, who ticked the papers and instructed him to handle the accountability.
“I had no option but to give them five booklets. They went back to their vehicle and ticked the ballot papers, brought back 250 pre-ticked ballot papers and told me you do the accountability thing,” Wacho who seemed shocked narrated the ordeal.
North Kyoga Region Police spokesperson, Jimmy Patrick Okema, has stated that he had not received a report on the incident and urged parties involved to make a formal complaint.
According to the Police, two suspects have also been arrested over alleged voter bribery amidst the ongoing allegations of voter bribery and violence in the constituency.
UPC president Jimmy Akena had demanded a fresh election in this polling station.
Akena noted that security had impounded UPC motorbikes deployed to escort the ballot boxes to the polling stations that they were suspicious.
“But they cannot see anything suspicious about NRM ‘goons’ camped at a closed petrol station at 2am.Polling agents assaulted in Iceme TC,”he said.
At least four candidates are in the race including Dr Eunice Apio Otuko of UPC, and Samuel Engola Okello, a son of the slain minister that the ruling party picked as its flag bearer.
Others are Mr Daniel Okello of the National Unity Platform (NUP) party and Mr Newton Freddy Okello of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC).
The Nile Post understands that the polling materials were being kept at Oyam District headquarters before the exercise began this morning.
The people in Oyam North are today choosing their next Member of Parliament.
He or she will succeed the former state minister for labour Charles Engola, who was shot dead by his bodyguard in May this year.
Source: Nilepost
