NRM’s Aguku wins Yumbe district speakership race

YUMBE - The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM)  candidate, Samadu Aguku, has been duly elected as the new speaker for the 7th council of Yumbe district in the highly contested elections conducted on Tuesday.

Aguku, who is the councillor for Midigo town council and the former secretary for social services, emerged victorious after defeating the former speaker and the councillor representing Kulikulinga town council, Kassim Asiku, as well as Rasul Ayiman, the councillor representing Aria sub-county.

Earlier in the morning, before the elections, there were a series of meetings and consultations among different groups of local leaders.

Following the events that unfolded, many residents concluded that the speakership race had already become a battle between the current district chairperson, Abdulmutalib Mahamoud Asiku, and former district chairperson Yassin Taban, as each backed a different candidate.

As Asiku was mobilising support for Aguku, Taban was canvassing for support for  Asiku.

Hellas Amviko, taking oath as the deputy speaker of Yumbe district council. (Credit: Adam Gule)

Secret ballot election

The election was conducted by secret ballot, and it was presided over by the chief magistrate of Yumbe and Koboko areas, Mathew Longoli, with support from the District Returning Officer of Yumbe, Benson Obeti.

In the final tally, Aguku garnered 28 out of the 51 votes cast. Asiku came second with 22 votes, while Ayiman trailed with only one.

After the victory, Aguku took oath and later presided over the election of the deputy speaker, where two people were nominated.

They were: Hellas Amviko, the councillor representing Persons With Disability (PWD) and Shamiah Munduru, the female councillor representing Youth.

Amviko emerged as the winner after obtaining 26 votes against 24 votes obtained by Munduru.

In his first speech as the district speaker of Yumbe, Aguku pledged to be neutral and serve the common interest of the people of Yumbe.

“The position of the speaker is the only position in the district where the hopes of the Aringa people will reside. I will not serve my people of Midigo but the entire district as one,” he said.

He also vowed to unite the councillors and break what he referred to as a tradition of categorising councillors, referring to some as seniors and others as juniors.

“The era of segregation and categorisation in the council is over. We should leave out person interests aside in our elective areas and come here as one body to see sustainable development of the district and improve the welfare of the population,” said Aguku.