The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate, Mary Akol has been declared the winner of the hotly contested Bukedea LC V by-election at Bukedea tally centre.
Akol, according to the Electoral Commission garnered 79,692 votes against independent candidate Tychicus Lokwiisk Ebukalin who got 4,941 and the opposition Forum for Democratic Change candidate Sam Oita Odeke’s 2,343 votes.
During campaigns, there was very hot competition between Akol and Odeke but on the polling day the latter withdrew all his polling agents and declared he had pulled out of the race, siting malpractices including bribery and intimidation by the NRM camp.
His declaration which came midway the voting affected the turn of voters to cast their votes.
It however didn’t stop the Electoral Commission from tallying his votes since he was on the ballot and voting had already started.
The commission started tallying the results at around 8 pm on Wednesday, an exercise that ended with declaration of Akol at around 11:50pm.
The final tally was declared by Joel Mugerwa Mugenyi, the Bukedea District Elctions Administrator.
After declaration, Akol thanked the NRM National Chairperson President Yoweri Museveni, the NRM Vice chairperson for eastern region, Capt. Mike Mukula, the secretariat and voters for ensuring her victory.
She promised to work and deliver services to her people.
