Arrest of Arua NRM registrar sparks election delays in four sub-counties

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Voting in Arua district was delayed until after 2pm following the arrest of the district registrar, Julius Abele.

Abele was apprehended after he was allegedly found in the company of National Resistance Movement (NRM) chairperson Boniface Alioni, transporting and distributing election materials.

According to investigations, Abele and Alioni reportedly distributed declaration forms to some candidates ahead of the official voting day, which raised serious concerns about the integrity of the electoral process. 

This prompted security forces to halt the voting exercise in the district.

Voting for Arua City Mayor, Central Division Mayor and councilors in Ewavio Cell Mvara Ward.

The district security committee recalled all electoral materials to the NRM office in Odia Nyadri and arrested Abele, who was subsequently forced to hand over his office to his deputy to ensure the resumption of voting.

The process was significantly delayed, and by 3pm, voting had not commenced in the four sub-counties of Vurra, Ajia, Arivu and Logiri.

Alioni, who also serves as the NRM chairman for Arua, is contesting for the position of district LC5 chairperson for Logiri Sub-county, further fuelling suspicion of bias and electoral malpractice.

Collins Asea, the police spokesperson for the West Nile region, confirmed the arrest to Wan Luo TV. Abele was taken into custody at around 9am. He remains detained at Arua Police Station.

Meanwhile, many voters left polling stations due to the delay. The candidates vying for the Arua district LC5 chairperson seat are the incumbent Alfred Onkuonzi, Cosmos Ayokobua, and Jerry Abejua.

Elsewhere in Arua city central division, voting was marred by low voter turnout and the presence of non-registered voters. In Ewavio Cell, Mvara Ward, out of 637 registered voters, fewer than 200 turned up to cast their ballots.

In Anyofia East Cell, which has 209 registered voters, fewer than 10 had turned up to check their names, and overall turnout remained low, with fewer than 100 participating.

Victor Munguci Erima, the registrar for Ewavio Cell, attributed the poor turnout to limited interest in verifying names on the register.

Voting in Congo Cell, Mvara Ward, turned chaotic after residents attempted to vote without following the official register. Edward Adriko, the registrar for the cell, said the situation became rowdy, prompting a security response that failed to restore order.

Despite there being 517 registered voters, the community opted to conduct voting outside the official register.

“Everyone was voting without following the register,” said Rolling Munguleni, a voter in Congo cell. She appealed to the NRM electoral commission to nullify the results and organise fresh elections.

Although police were deployed, Munguleni stated they failed to manage the situation effectively. Some votes were not counted, and instances of double voting were reported. Most names in the Yellow Book were ignored, yet all cell members were allowed to vote.

Peace Dunia, an agent for a candidate and a voter in Ewavio cell, also raised concerns about the low turnout, noting it had affected her candidate’s vote tally.

In Arua city, celebrations broke out prematurely. Supporters of Said Baguma, a candidate for Arua Central Division Mayor, were seen celebrating in the streets as early as 4pm, even before official results were announced.

The candidates for the Arua city mayor position are the incumbent Sam Wadri Nyakua, Lawrence Alionzi, and Issa Kato Afeku.