SEMBABULE .
The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) Election Disputes Tribunal has dismissed the petition filed by maverick Lwemiyaga County legislator Theodore Ssekikubo challenging the victory of Rtd Brig Emmanuel Rwashande as party flag bearer for the same constituency ahead 2026 polls .
According to the NRM Electoral Commission, Rwashande won with 16,358 votes against Sekikubo’s 8,702 votes. Edmond Bwiire came third with 960 votes, Ms Kabatsi (473 votes) and Jacob Kato ( 11 votes) . But Ssekikubo claims the exercise was marred by massive bribery, rigging ,voter disenfranchisement and violence engineered by soldiers..
In their ruling signed by Tribunal chairperson John Musiime and two members Tendo Lubwama and Joseph Ogwang , the petitioners ( Ssekikubo and Kabatsi failed to prove their allegations forcing the tribunal to dismiss the petition
The tribunal noted that though the petitioners alleged that voting didn’t take in24 polling stations, it was discovered during their investigations that there were valid declaration of results forms for many of the named stations , some signed by Ssekikubo and Kabatsi’s own agents .
“In some instances , the petitioners actually won in the very stations claimed as non-voting ,undermining their allegation ,” the ruling reads in part .
According to the Tribunal , voting didn’t take place at only six polling stations with 3,257 votes ,and even if these votes were given to Ssekikubo ,he could not overcome the margin of 7,654votes
“The petitioners have not presented us with a coherent tallying or calculation demonstrating that the alleged irregularities even if accepted , would have changed the outcome .We are therefore not satisfied that the petitioners have proved this allegation to the required standard.
Nothing that there is no such thing as a perfect election , the tribunal finds and holds that even the instances of election irregularities proved did not affect the result in a substantial manner ,”
On reports that Ssekikubo supporters were beaten and some injured by soldiers , the tribunal said though soldiers were seen in a video submitted by Ssekikubo ,nothing is linking them to the violence that reportedly marred the exercise .
“The tribunal was shown a video depicting the respondent arriving as the awaited guest at a meeting with a cattle-keeping community where carrying sticks is customary .
The tribunal cannot outlaw or draw any negative inferences from this . No violence is seen in the video at all for indeed , it was a meeting of his supporters .”
In another video , the tribunal says men on Chaka mu Chaka road run . In yet another video , the tribunal saw armed men assaulting civilians . However , the videos tendered do not bear dates or location .
“We are therefore unable to say definitively that it was in this consistency moreover we did not see the respondent in it .
In the absence of authenticated ,verifiable and relevant evidence directly connecting the respondent to the alleged acts, the tribunal is unable to find that electoral violence or brutality affected the result in a substantial manner ,” the ruling reads in parts
In an interview with this publication on Tuesday Mr Ssekikubo said he wasn’t surprised with the verdict . He said members of the tribunal were biased and refused to consider some of the evidence put on the file .
“ It is a pity that a party like NRM has fail to deliver justice to its members who were subjected to all manners of violations before and during elections . With this ,I have ended my relationship with NRM . I am going to sit with people of Lwemiyaga and look at the future , NRM bye bye ,” he said
Brig Rwashande was not readily available to give a comment on the ruling . It remains to be seen where Ssekikubo will stand as an independent candidate or will join another party and hold its flag in Lwemiyaga or will take a sabbatical from elective politics .