The chairperson of National Resistance Movement (NRM) party Electoral Commission, Dr. Tanga Odoi is being accused of declaring Ms Molly Asiimwe as the winner of the primaries of Rwamparara district Woman Member Parliament and yet she wasn’t the winner.
Odoi is also accused of dragging in the name of the First Lady when he reportedly told a selected party faithful that he was sent to Rwamparara to declare Ms Molly Asiimwe.
According to results from the whole districts for the NRM party primaries, Ms Annah Kansiime got 20019 votes against Ms Asiimwe and therefore, she was announced the winner. However, it is said that Odoi personally drove to Rwamparara, overturned the victory of Ms Kansiime by declaring Ms Asiimwe as the winner instead while saying he was ‘sent by the First Lady’ to announce Ms Asiimwe.
“We were all shocked when Tanga told us that he was sent by the First Lady to declare Molly because it could be a lie when he is dragging her in for selfish reasons but we hope it isn’t true because it defeats the meaning elections” a source was quoted.
However, Tanga alleged action has prompted the voters and the winner Ms Kansiime to protest the decision of declare her opponent whom she defeated.
In a petition dated September 10, through NRM Secretary General, she says Tanga stormed the district tally centre accompanied by Resident District Commissioner for Rwampara Kateera Turyabagyenyi and a heavy deployment of UPDF soldier and police officers. Tanga is then accused of grabbing the tallying results from the district returning officer Richard asiimwe and then presented a tally sheet which he had come with containing some provisional results which placed one of the candidates Ms Molly Asiimwe in the lead.
” I protested and rejected the said results because they were not tallying with the results which were being tallied from different polling stations by the district returning officer nor were they tallying with those which i had received from my agents at the polling stations. He then directed the district registrar to sign the tally sheet with the provisional results and immediately proceeded to declare Ms Molly Asiimwe as the winning candidate, NRM flag bearer for Rwampara district woman member of parliament” reads the petition which Eagle Online has obtained.
Ms Kansiime left without any option, she has through her lawyers Nandaah Wamukoota and Co.Advocates dragged National Resistance Movement party and Ms Molly Asiimwe to court protesting Tanga Odoi’s decision of declaring Ms Asiimwe the winner of the party primaries.
“Our client was announced and declared as the official flag bearer for Woman MP seat for Rwampara District representing NRM party and was given a declaration of results form to that effect. However, the NRM electoral commission chairperson Dr. Tanga Odoi personally convened a press conference and announced Molly Asiimwe as the NRM flag bearer, albeit without lawful authority. For that therefore, we hereby demand you to officially take immediate measures to declare that Dr. Tanga Odoi illegally and in error announced Molly Asiimwe as the NRM Woman MP seat flag bearer of Rwampara District and recognise our client Annah Kansime as the rightful flag bearer for NRM Woman MP seat, Rwampara District” reads the letter from Nandaah Wamukoota and Co. Advocates on behalf of Kansime.
