The Returning officer for Soroti City Eyu Christine had declared that the ruling party candidate Ariko Herbert Edmund Okworo was the winner of Thursday’s Parliamentary by-election with 9407 votes. Ariko edged his bitter rival Attan Okia Moses of the Opposition Forum for Democratic change who got 8771 votes. UPC’s Amuriat Pascal came a distant third with 115 votes.
FDC leaders have however protested the results saying the ruling NRM party hijacked their victory through use of violence, ballot stuffing voter impersonation, rigging and arrest of their agents.
The Soroti district Woman MP Anna Adeke Ebaju for example claimed that on the eve of the election day, soldiers broke into her house and took arrested polling agents.
Ebaju also claimed that the police deflated tyres of vehicles belonging to FDC leaders including FDC Secretary General Nathan Nandala Mafabi.
Several videos have also emerged showing incidents of ballot stuffing.
