Auma’s lawyer Paul Idambi told the court that the people who swore affidavits are not voters and that the signatures attached to their names are forged.
The Electoral Commission-EC has asked the court to dismiss an
election petition filed against the Lira District Woman Member of Parliament.
The EC argues that the witnesses who swore affidavits are not registered voters.
The petition was filed by a concerned resident Bonny Aliro against Agnes Linda
Auma.
Auma accuses the Electoral Commission of nominating and declaring Auma
winner yet she lacked academic documents. Auma is also faulted for failing to
resign from her position as Resident District Commissioner Amuru District.
When the petition came up for hearing on Monday before Justice Vincent Emmy
Mugabo, Auma’s lawyers told the
court to dismiss the petition. Auma’s lawyer Paul Idambi told the court that the people who swore
affidavits are not voters and that the signatures attached to their names are
forged.
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According to Idambi, the petition is intended to waste the court’s
time. He also asked the court to compel Aliro to declare his source of income
and the properties he owns to ascertain whether or not he will be in a position
to meet the costs of the petition should he lose the case.
Osmas Ejale, the EC lawyer told the court that out of the 566 names of voters
supporting the petition, only 299 are in the database of the electoral
commission.
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Aliro’s lawyer Joe Fay Adoko agreed that the National IDs and
signatures of some voters supporting the petition missing. However, he told the
court that people can register to vote from other districts away from their
residence.
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Justice Mugabo later adjourned the session to scrutinize the national IDs and
voter identification and rule on the matter.
