Gulu University Returning Officer Detained  Over Election Fraud Allegations

Students casting their vote at Gulu University: COURTESY PHOTO

Edmond Okello, a returning officer at Gulu University has been arrested and detained at Gulu central police station on allegations of tampering with the University guild elections.

The incident happened on Saturday evening shortly after reading the results from the electoral process.

According to reports by Daily Monitor, the Aswa region Police Spokesperson Jimmy Patrick Okema said that Okello is detained at  to prevent students from attacking him.

“We carried out a preventive arrest because he was under threat from angry students. We shall free him when the situation is calm,” Mr Okema said.

The winner of the elections, Johnson Nowe, a third year student of Medicine and Surgery had scooped 1,403 votes beating his close rival Samuel Oyet Agwani, a second year student pursuing Bachelor of Arts in Education who got 750 votes.

The situation however got out of hand when supporters of those the candidates who lost started demonstrating against the results deeming them false.

They went ahead to accuse Okello of assisting Nowe to rig of votes citing few ballot papers among others as the duo’s trick to prevent non-supporters from voting.

The Spokesperson Gulu University electoral commission, Mr Emmanuel Ochan also said that of the 5,000 ballot papers anticipated, only 3,000 were printed although 4,700 students had earlier registered to vote.

“Many students especially in the faculty of Humanity missed out because the ballot papers were over. The decision to print the ballot papers was solely in the hands of the returning officer and we wonder why he printed less,” Mr Ochan said.

Tumuheire Agnes

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