No Flag Bearer in Mawogola North Election - NRM Insists

The NRM Directorate of Legal Services has rejected the decision by Justice Musa Ssekaana to award Sodo Aine Kaguta to stand as the party flag bearer in the Mawogola North Constituency.

Two days ago, High Court Justice Musa Ssekaana ruled against the National Resistance Movement (NRM) decision not to endorse Sodo as the party's flag-bearer for the Mawogola North Constituency MP race.

In his ruling, Justice Sekaana declared the NRM Tribunal's decision null and void, saying it was blighted by illegality, irrationality, procedural impropriety, unfairness.

"This court issues an Order of Certiorari quashing both decisions of the NRM Election Disputes Tribunal and that of the Secretary-General of NRM since it was based on an illegal decision of the Election Disputes Tribunal," Ssekaana ruled.

However, according to the legal arm of the party, they are going to appeal the court decision, meaning that there is still no NRM flagbearer for Mawogola north.

"We are aggrieved with the decision of the court on the account of the fact that we raised the arguments that the said application (by Sodo) was moot as it had been overtaken by events and that Godfrey Aine Kaguta Sodo had no locus to bring the same," the party says in a statement seen by the Kampala Post.

The party adds in the letter signed by the Director Legal Services Oscar John Kihika that a notice of appeal has been filed challenging the court decision.

"We kindly advise that no action be taken to have Godfrey Aine Kaguta Sodo nominated as the NRM flag bearer as this will compromise our intended appeal and render it nugatory."

Background

Earlier this month, Sodo dragged the party to the Civil Division of the High Court seeking the cancellation of the decision by the NRM Tribunal to deny him the party's flag following a bitterly contested primary that pitted him against Shartsi Nayebare Kutesa Musherure.

The primaries were postponed twice after the rival candidates' supporters were involved in clashes.

According to the eventual poll results declared on September 30, Sodo polled 17,343 votes against 16,104 votes garnered by Musherure. Musherure however rejected the results and petitioned the party's tribunal arguing that the primaries were marred by gross irregularities.

The tribunal chaired by Enoch Barata failed to take a final decision on the petition and instead forwarded the matter to the NRM Central Executive Committee for guidance.

CEC also referred the matter to the NRM vice-chairperson, Al-Hajj Moses Kigongo who allowed the two candidates to run as independents.