Court verdict on Serere MP appeal due today

May 08, 2017

Bishop Okabe reportedly used two different names in school and during nominations.

(Credit: Godfrey Ojore)

The Court of Appeal is expected to deliver its verdict on an appeal by Serere County MP Bishop Patrick Okabe (pictured).

Okabe last year appealed against a Soroti High Court ruling that nullified his election over non-compliance of electoral rules.

Uganda People's Congress' (UPC) Joseph Linos Opio had dragged Okabe and the Electoral Commission to court on two accounts.

Opio's argument was that by approving Obake's nomination, the Electoral Commission and the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) flouted the law.

Opio had told High Court judge Justice Billy Kainamura in Soroti that Okabe did not possess the requisite academic qualifications for a Member of Parliament and that the elections were not conducted in accordance with the law.

He had also argued that the Electoral Commision had denied his supporters the right to vote due to deliberate omission of his name and party symbol from the ballot paper.

In his subsequent ruling, Justice Kainamura said Okabe used different names on his academic papers during his Senior Four at Ayer Secondary School where he was referred to as Ocen Oliba Patrick and during nominations as Patrick Okabe.

Today the Court of Appeal will either overturn the High Court ruling of last year or agree with it to have Okabe kicked out of parliament.

Bishop Okabe is currently the chairperson of Teso Parliamentary Group.

 

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