Greater north UPC leader condemns Electoral Commission over Akena

________________

Leaders of the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) from the greater northern region have condemned the Electoral Commission (EC) over its refusal to nominate Jimmy Akena as the party’s presidential flag-bearer for the 2026 General Election. 

The leaders have described the move as unjust, disgraceful and politically motivated.

Speaking to the media on Sunday, September 28, 2025, at Akena’s residence in Junior Quarters in Lira city, the leaders voiced a firm and unwavering protest against the EC’s actions.

They accused the commission of abusing its authority and betraying democratic principles.

Reading the group’s resolutions, Alebtong district chairperson David Kennedy Odongo said that the decision was not merely an attack on Akena, but an assault on the collective will of the people, the sovereignty of the UPC, and a generation committed to building a just and prosperous Uganda.

“We shall not be silenced or retreat. Let it be known to all Ugandans that the Electoral Commission has taken a selective path of injustice, turning itself into a tool of political exclusion rather than a neutral body guiding electoral integrity,” Odongo said.

He further alleged that while other political parties have been allowed to conduct their internal processes without interference, UPC has been singled out, undermined, and sabotaged. 

“Refusing to nominate Akena, who was duly elected and followed all the necessary procedures, is a deliberate attempt to destabilise the party,” he added.

The leaders from Lango, Teso and Acholi regions demanded that the EC reverse its decision and officially recognise Akena as the legitimate President and flag-bearer of the UPC. They further called on the EC to issue a formal apology to the party and its supporters.

The leaders urged all UPC supporters to unite in peaceful demonstrations and to dedicate three days to prayer.

Appeal to international organisations

They also appealed to civil society organisations and the international community to take note of what they described as an abuse of democratic principles in Uganda.

Akena, who also serves as the Member of Parliament for Lira City East Division, was barred, along with Denis Adim Enap and Joseph Pinytek Ochieno, from being nominated as the UPC flag-bearer.

According to the EC, Akena’s election as party president was illegal, null, and void. The commission cited irregularities in the process that brought him to leadership, disqualifying him and the others from official nomination under the UPC banner.

Simon Opio Okako, the UPC Chairperson for Lira city, questioned why the EC chose to target only Akena among the eight presidential candidates. 

He criticised the EC for what he described as selective enforcement, and urged the public to take note of the Commission's "misrule" in the execution of its mandate.

Opio Okako called for unity among party members and emphasised the need for a level playing field where all political parties can freely exercise their democratic right to field candidates of their choice—without oppression or interference.

Joyce Akello, a councillor from Kaberamaido district and also an aspirant for the District Woman Member of Parliament, expressed deep disappointment with the Electoral Commission’s decision, stating that, as young people, they feel betrayed.

She emphasised that Jimmy Akena represents the only hope for the youth and the future of the country.

“We are taking this matter very seriously,” she said, adding that they are *not ready to relent—*not for their own sake, but for the sake of future generations.