LOSER IN MADI OKOLLO LC5 ELECTION RACE SEEKS VOTE RECOUNT THROUGH COURT

A copy of the election petition pined on the door of Drabe Ismail Adiris by the legal team of Bruno Onzima on Friday, April 24, 2026.

By Dramadri Federick

Arua city

A closely contested Local Council Five (LC5) election in Madi Okollo District has taken a new legal turn, as the runner-up, Onzima Bruno, petitions the High Court in Arua seeking a vote recount.

The dispute stems from the January 22nd elections, where Bruno, an independent candidate, lost by a narrow margin to the declared winner, Drabe Ismail Adirisi.

According to official results announced by Madi Okollo District Election Administrator Samuel Olet, Drabe secured 16,014 votes, while Bruno followed closely with 15,917 votes. A third candidate, Antes Oyemy Asedri, garnered 254 votes.

Bruno’s latest petition comes after an earlier attempt to challenge the results at the Arua Grade Three Magistrate’s Court was dismissed on January 30th.

The court ruled that it lacked jurisdiction to handle the matter and ordered Bruno to pay costs.

Onzima Bruno speaks shortly after delivering the petition at Madi Okollo district Headquarters

Undeterred, Bruno has now escalated the case to the High Court, insisting that his claims remain valid particularly allegations of vote tampering at Lionga Primary School polling station.

In his petition, Bruno claims that his votes at the station were reduced from 142 to 42, while those of Drabe were allegedly inflated from 76 to 176.

“The right thing to do would be either to annul the polling station altogether or conduct a recount because the ballot box was still open,” Bruno said.

“When we asked for a mandatory recount, Drabe’s team rejected. There’s no voting that takes place at the tallying center—this is an anomaly,” he added.

Bruno also described difficulties in serving court documents to the respondent.

According to him, several attempts to physically deliver the petition were unsuccessful, prompting his legal team to pin the notice of presentation of Petition Number 0007 of 2026 on Drabe’s office door on Friday, April 24, 2026.

A copy of the notice seen by this publication confirms the move, which Bruno says was done in compliance with legal procedures after failed service attempts.

In response, Drabe Ismail Adirisi confirmed that he has received court summons and is preparing his legal team to contest the petition.

“I have already received a court summon challenging my victory. I have been accused alongside the Electoral Commission for offenses I am yet to understand,” Drabe said.

Drabe Ismail Adiris the declared winner addressing a press conference at his office before the petitioner arrived.

Court documents indicate that both Drabe and the Electoral Commission have 15 days to file their responses to the petition.

Drabe has also expressed frustration with his political party, accusing it of offering little to no support amid the ongoing legal challenge.

“It is very unfortunate. When I started receiving this political torture from January 16th, I tried my level best to contact the party headquarters, but nobody took it seriously,” he said.

The High Court’s handling of the petition is expected to determine whether a recount will be ordered or if results from the disputed polling station could be annulled ,decisions that may significantly impact the final outcome of one of the district’s tightest electoral races.

As the legal process unfolds, all eyes remain on the court in Arua, where the next steps could redefine the leadership of Madi Okollo District.