AFTER losing the bid for West Budama South parliamentary contest, state minister in charge of labour, Dr. Emmanuel Otaala, last evening declared his own victory, ignoring the official declaration of the returning officer.

Jacob Oboth Oboth, the former deputy solicitor general for Mbale, polled 17,835 votes, while Otaala, the incumbent, obtained 11,123.

“I have won the parliamentary polls for West Budama South seat, let nobody confuse you,” the minister made the pronouncement on the local FM radio station a few minutes later.

He mobilised his supporters and made a counter-victory procession around the town, before he walked into the studio of a local radio station, where he declared himself winner.

The returning officer, Mohammed Yawe, read out the results from Magoola, Rubongi, Nabuyoga and Mulanda sub-counties.

He said votes from Iyolwa sub-county had been set aside pending consultation from legal authorities, following a court injunction in Mbale High Court instructing the NRM party authorities to stay the voting exercise in the sub-county.

The record of the final results indicated that Otaala obtained 3,650 votes in Iyolwa sub-county, beating his opponent with a very thin margin. The opponent got 3,162 votes.