NRM tribunal upholds Atima’s win in Arua Central primaries

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The National Resistance Movement (NRM) Election Disputes Tribunal has upheld the victory of incumbent Jackson Lee Buti Atima as the NRM flag bearer for Member of Parliament in Arua Central Division.

In petition number 144 of 2025, Ronald Debo challenged the results and declaration of Atima as the winner of the NRM flag for Arua Central Division in the hotly contested party primary elections.

The petition stemmed from the NRM primaries held on July 17, 2025. Debo, who polled 3,391 votes, contested the declaration of Atima, who secured 4,658 votes.

He cited alleged irregularities, including election violence, intimidation, voter bribery, disenfranchisement, forgery of declaration forms, and disregard for the register in Kenya ward.

The tribunal’s ruling, delivered on August 15, 2025, in Kampala by the chairperson of the NRM Election Disputes Tribunal, John Musiime, dismissed the petition.

Debo sought nullification of the results and was represented by lawyers Emmanuel Candia, Hope Sarah Mindreru, and Patrick Twesigye. Atima was represented by Samuel Ondoma, Henry Odama, and Jamal Haruna Apangu.

The tribunal was guided by Article 1(4) of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda (1995), which guarantees citizens the right to choose their leaders through regular, free, and fair elections, including internal party elections.

Under Regulation 43 of the NRM Election Regulations (2025), petitions must be filed within five days of the declaration of results and resolved within seven days of the hearing.

An election can only be set aside on three grounds: noncompliance with constitutional provisions affecting results substantially, evidence that a different candidate actually won, or proof that the declared candidate was not qualified or was disqualified.

The tribunal concluded that the petitioner failed to prove, on the balance of probability, that irregularities occurred in the election process.

The respondent, Atima, submitted that the allegations did not affect the final results. He secured 4,658 votes compared to Debo’s 3,391, a margin of 1,267 votes. After adjustment for votes not properly tallied, the figures stood at 4,829 for Atima and 3,861 for Debo, leaving a margin of 968 votes.

The tribunal stated that qualitatively, the petitioner still failed to show that the alleged irregularities had a substantial effect on the results.

According to Regulation 44(1)(a) of the NRM regulations, a candidate’s election can only be nullified if the petitioner proves that noncompliance with provisions relating to elections in the party’s constitution substantially affected the outcome.

Having failed to meet the required standard of proof, the petitioner was found not entitled to the remedies sought.

The tribunal therefore dismissed the petition and upheld the declaration of Atima as the duly elected NRM flag bearer for Arua Central Division Constituency.