Jonathan Ddur, an advocate of the High Court representing the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC), has filed an application for judicial review challenging the Electoral Commission’s decision to block Michael James Akena from nomination as a presidential candidate.
Speaking to journalists, Ddur said the application seeks interim remedies, including a temporary injunction compelling the Electoral Commission to nominate Akena.
He argued that Akena had fulfilled all legal requirements, including collecting more than the 98 required signatures and presenting his academic credentials.
“We had even nominated the delegation of 20 members to accompany him. So we were taken aback by what we believe is malice on the side of the Electoral Commission in entertaining a frivolous complaint,” Ddur said.
He noted that the complaint came from some members of UPC who had not themselves sought to carry the party’s presidential flag.
According to him, the dispute over party leadership is already before the High Court, and the Electoral Commission should not have acted while the matter was still pending.
Ddur cited precedent from 2020, when the Commission declined to intervene in a similar case, waiting instead for a court ruling. He insisted that the balance of convenience favors Akena’s nomination, since thousands of UPC members endorsed him to carry the party flag.
The Electoral Commission’s decision was based on its interpretation that Akena had already served two terms as party president, making him ineligible.
But Jonathan Ddur that the party’s delegates’ conference, its highest organ, had lawfully extended Akena’s term by one year, a practice seen in other parties, especially during the COVID-19 disruptions.
He also accused the Commission of applying double standards, pointing to internal contradictions within other political parties such as the National Unity Platform, which did not result in disqualification of their flag bearers.
For now, the High Court is expected to determine whether the Electoral Commission acted lawfully, and whether Akena’s disqualification stands or should be overturned.
