The Chairperson of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Electoral Commission, Dr. Tanga Odoi, has issued a strong warning to candidates, registrars, and other electoral officials ahead of the party primaries for Local Council Five (LCV) chairpersons, municipal and city mayors scheduled for today.
Odoi stated that the elections will be conducted using the party register, and a person whose name is missing from the register will not be allowed to vote. He emphasised that elections will begin at midday after verification, and all candidates must ensure they have their placards ready in every village since they cannot physically appear everywhere.
He urged candidates to deploy agents across all villages to monitor the process and safeguard their votes. Dr Tanga Odoi was speaking on Wednesday while addressing the media in Kampala.
Odoi cautioned against electoral malpractice, including attempts to tamper with the declaration of results (DR) forms or bribing voters, warning that culprits would be arrested and immediately replaced.
Dr. Odoi noted that several registrars had already been arrested in areas like Iganga, Kakumiro, Hoima, Kasanda, and Rwampara, and others would follow if they attempted to compromise the integrity of the elections. He assured the public that the police would pick up anyone, registrar or candidate, who disrupted the process, even at village level.
Dr. Odoi stressed that the NRM Electoral Commission would not tolerate individuals trying to discredit the primaries, which he said had largely been a success, save for a few isolated incidents.
He said the party president, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, had recognised the success of the primaries in his letters to members, though he also acknowledged the existence of detractors at various levels who had sought to manipulate the outcome.
He reminded those who lost in the recently concluded parliamentary primaries that they only have five days from the date of result declaration to file petitions before the NRM tribunal. He dismissed public demonstrations and media campaigns against the electoral body as meaningless if not followed by official petitions. He clarified that the tribunal is independent from the Electoral Commission and is the only competent body to handle electoral grievances.
Dr. Tanga Odoi explained that while there have been a considerable number of petitions, many stem from the same constituencies, with joint filings by multiple losing candidates. He noted that some constituencies had up to 20 petitioners, but that did not reflect a nationwide crisis. He added that winners rarely petition, which is why the volume appears skewed. He also revealed that some candidates have used the arrests of registrars to settle political scores, having previously bribed them and now attempting to reverse the damage.
He expressed confidence that the commission is fully prepared for the LCV and mayoral primaries. He said the petitions concerning parliamentary candidates would not disrupt the upcoming vote since the categories are separate. Materials had been distributed on time, and sensitive items like declaration of results forms were only being delivered on the day of voting to avoid manipulation.
When asked whether ministers involved in the elections were influencing the president, Dr. Odoi said it was not within his powers to block any minister from meeting the head of state, especially if it concerned their official duties. He maintained that the commission is under full control and guided by seven commissioners, not just himself.
Responding to whether the commission could override wrong declarations, Dr. Odoi referred to a letter from President Museveni, explaining that the president had made it clear the tribunal, not the Electoral Commission, had the final authority to handle such disputes. He said the same officials who made mistakes cannot be expected to resolve them, hence the need for the independent tribunal.
Dr. Odoi also highlighted the increasing pressure registrars face in the field, recounting an incident in Hoima District where a registrar declared two different winners under duress. He said the intimidation faced by officials on the ground, including threats from powerful individuals, complicates the electoral process and undermines its credibility.
He pointed out that the commission has had issues with Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) like the one in Rwampara, whom he accused of interfering in electoral matters beyond their mandate. While describing her as efficient, he criticised her for overstepping boundaries and referred further inquiries to the Minister for the Presidency.
He said that even where registrars have been removed or arrested, there are layered backups in place from parish to district levels, and headquarters staff have been dispatched to oversee operations in affected districts.
Odoi appealed to politicians to stop manipulating law enforcement and asked the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) to take note of such conduct.
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