Sodo sues NRM over Mawogola elections

POLITICS|NRM|COURT 

Godfrey Kaguta, Sodo has dragged the National Resistance Movement (NRM) to court challenging the actions and decisions of the party not to endorse him as the official flag bearer for Mawogola North Constituency for 2021 general election.

Sodo filed the application at the Civil Division of the High Court seeking orders compelling NRM to endorse him as the party's flag bearer for the constituency.

Through Arcadia Advocates, Sodo states that the decision of NRM elections tribunal to declare that there was no winner and referring the matter to the Central Executive Committee (CEC) is tainted with unfairness and is null and void.

He says the party's primary election, which was scheduled for September 4, 2020, was postponed to September 24, then September 28, but was never held until September 30.

Sodo contends that the actions and decision of NRM's EC to delay the hearing and determination of the complaint made on October 2, 2020, against his election as Mawogola North Constituency is tainted with illegality.

Sodo insists that he won the elections but was not declared the party winner.

Opponent applies to join case

However, his rival Shartsi Nayebare Kutesa Musherure, has asked court to join NRM as a party on the application.

Justice Musa Ssekaana ordered both parties to file written submissions on the applications, and then he will deliver his ruling on Monday.

"The applicant (Kutesa) is ordered to file her submission by Wednesday, December 2, 2020 and the respondents (NRM) by December 4," he ordered.

In her application, Kutesa says under the directions of CEC, the NRM Secretary General communicated that it is the decision for the party not to endorse any candidate to carry its flag for the contested position.

In her affidavit, Kutesa states that after elections were postponed on two occasions, Sodo was declared by the NRM district elections officer of Sembabule district as a winner with 46% of the vote and she was runner up with 42.7%.

"The election had been marred by various irregularities including but not limited to, violence, unrecorded and uncounted votes, influx of ineligible voters and procedural irregularities," she states.

She submitted that she is a party to the decisions that are being challenged by Sodo.

"It is therefore proper and necessary that I also be party to the proceedings in court because I may be affected by any orders this court had made," she said.

"My addition as a party to the suit would assist the court to effectually and completely adjudicate upon and settle all questions relating to the decisions being changed."