ARUA CITY LC 1 ELECTIONS SHINE DESPITE DISRUPTIONS AND IRREGULARITIES

Voters celebrating the victory of their candidate at Zambia Cell, Mvara Ward, Arua Central Division (Photo: Onzoma Albert)

By Onzoma Albert

Arua City

The residents of Arua City participated actively in electing their LC 1 Chairpersons, with the electoral exercise being largely peaceful across the city’s 54 wards and 469 cells.

The Electoral Commission reported that voting was generally smooth, although there were disruptions at some polling stations due to disputes over the voters’ register and irregularities involving ineligible voters especially in Kenya Ward’s clubs and other cells in the city.

Security personnel intervened to restore calm, enabling voting to proceed in many areas.

Presiding Officer verifying the name of Voters at Azia Cell, Pangisa Ward, Arua Central Division (Photo: Onzoma Albert)

Osman Ezale, the Returning Officer for Arua City, described the elections as largely peaceful despite isolated tensions.

“Election took place in almost all the cells in Arua City except some few cells where elections did not take place because hooligans over powered the police constables deployed to provide security at the polling stations and grabbed our control forms and destroyed others,” he said.

Voters lining-up behind their preferred candidates during the voting process in Ezova Cell, Driwala Ward, Arua City (Photo: Onzoma Albert)

In Ezova Cell, Driwala Ward, Swadick Abiriga was declared the winner, defeating incumbent and NRM Flagbearer Jane Japyem and two others. Abiriga committed to addressing disunity within his cell.

“I am going to work with everyone without fear or favor because the people of Ezova cell had been divided by the past leadership and I’m going to unit them by working without religion, tribe and economic status to transform the cell and bring peace and unity in Ezova” he said.

In Zambia Cell, Mvara Ward, Isaac Adukule, an independent candidate, won with 69 votes, narrowly defeating Florence Amviko, who garnered 64 votes, and other candidates. Adukule vowed to tackle security issues and substance abuse in his community.

“In our cell here there is a lot of insecurity and many people take a lot of alcohol in Mvara where our cell is the base, there is a lot of theft cases in our cell since it is near Barifa forest thieves come and still properties and escape into the forest, sometimes our ladies who returned home beyond 10pm are raped and because of all this I am planning to address the issue with the relevant offices” he said.

Ezale, also urged candidates dissatisfied with results to formally lodge complaints through proper channels rather than resorting to violence, emphasizing proactive reporting of concerns. The Electoral Commission has canceled elections in some cells due to reported irregularities and is expected to issue further guidance on these affected areas.

The elections reflected community engagement with efforts to address local disputes and issues.