Ogwang celebrates poll petition win, calls for unity in Lango
Turning to the region's development agenda, Ogwang said the next five years should be dedicated to improving the lives of ordinary citizens and fighting poverty.
Patrick Ogwang Obura, the Oyam South MP celebrating with his funs after court ruling. (Photos by Hudson Apunyo)
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Patrick Ogwang Obura, the Oyam South MP, has called on political leaders across Lango to put aside electoral rivalries and focus on service delivery after the High Court in Lira dismissed a petition challenging his election.
Ogwang made the appeal shortly after Acting High Court Judge Fatuma Nanziri Bwanika delivered her judgment on Thursday, November 5, 2026, dismissing the petition filed by Queen Dorothy Amolo and upholding his election as MP.
The ruling triggered celebrations among Ogwang's supporters, who gathered at the court premises to welcome the legislator after the proceedings.
The petition, registered as HCT-10-CV-EP-0001-2026, challenged Ogwang's election, with Amolo arguing that although she had been nominated as Queen Dorothy Amolo, the Electoral Commission printed Queen Dorothy Alweny on the ballot paper.
She contended that the discrepancy affected the election and the attribution of votes cast under the name appearing on the ballot paper.
The court established that Ogwang won with 29,353 votes, while Amolo obtained 3,516 votes and finished third.
However, the judge found that the discrepancy had not substantially affected the election outcome. She noted that Alweny was a former name by which the petitioner had been known and that her other names, photograph and campaign symbol appeared on the ballot paper.
The court also considered the absence of contemporaneous documentary evidence showing that Amolo or her polling agents had formally protested against the discrepancy during the election.
It consequently dismissed the petition, upheld Ogwang's election and awarded him costs against the petitioner.
Addressing journalists inside the court hall, Ogwang said the judgment had reaffirmed the people's decision, urging political actors to respect the electorate's choice and move on from the January 2026 general election.
The celebrations later continued at Latitude Sports Centre in Odokomit, where Ogwang hosted his supporters for lunch and refreshments.
However, beyond the celebrations, the chairperson of the Lango Parliamentary Group used the occasion to urge leaders to embrace reconciliation, warning that continued political disagreements could undermine efforts to address poverty and other challenges facing ordinary citizens.
"However much we may have disagreements, when the people decide, their decision is very paramount. The Constitution of this country demands that all powers belong to the people. And this is what has been addressed in this court today by reading out the ruling and the judgment that surely that matter is dismissed," he said.
A call for unity in Lango
Turning to the region's development agenda, Ogwang said the next five years should be dedicated to improving the lives of ordinary citizens and fighting poverty.
He urged elected leaders, cultural institutions and other stakeholders to work together, regardless of their political differences.
"What is important in Lango is unity. We know that the five years ahead of us is to develop Lango, bring changes in the lives of the ordinary citizens, to fight poverty. All these cannot happen if we are fighting each other, going to court, antagonising each other," he said.