Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) flagbearer for the Bukedea District Woman MP seat, Norma Susan Otai, has accused the Electoral Commission (EC) of illegally deleting her name from the 2026 national voters register, describing the move as politically motivated.
Otai, a resident of Kopeta Village, Kolir Subcounty, alleged that the EC, chaired by Justice Simon Byabakama, removed her name without a fair hearing or verifying claims made by local authorities.
She claimed that Speaker of Parliament Anita Among, whose incumbency she is challenging, influenced the decision to frustrate her political ambitions ahead of the 2026 general elections.
“I have been a registered voter since 2001, but the Byabakama Electoral Commission has taken a decision to delete my name from the 2026 voters register without giving me a fair hearing,” Otai said.
Otai questioned the authenticity of documents used in the decision, saying the same village chairperson who introduced her for registration allegedly issued another letter disowning her.
“It’s confusing to hear that the same office was used to issue false evidence against me. Who wrote the two letters if not under duress?” she asked.
Citing the Parliamentary Elections Act, 2005, Otai maintained that she meets all legal requirements to contest for Parliament—being a Ugandan citizen, a registered voter, and possessing the requisite education qualifications.
She reaffirmed her intention to seek nomination for the Bukedea Woman MP seat on October 22, 2025, vowing to “liberate Bukedea from the hands of this woman who feels she is above everyone in Uganda,” in apparent reference to Speaker Among.
Otai is among three women—Hellen Odeke Akol and Marion Mercy Alupo—who were recently sued before the Civil Division of the High Court in Kampala by Ms. Zipporah Akol, a voter in Bukedea District.
The petitioner contends that the three aspirants are not bona fide residents of Bukedea and have been deleted from the national voters register following decisions by local parish tribunals.
Ms. Akol, who is registered at CD Church Polling Station in Kolir Subcounty, argues that the EC erred by failing to act on the tribunal’s findings and is seeking a court order stopping the trio from being nominated in next year’s elections.
Court documents show that the petitioner also sued the EC, asserting that the body had displayed updated voters’ rolls earlier this year, during which objections to the trio’s registration were raised.
Otai has dismissed the suit as a political scheme aimed at blocking opposition candidates from contesting against Speaker Among, who has previously been declared unopposed in NRM primaries.
She demanded that the EC explain how her name was deleted from the national register, insisting she remains a lawful voter in Bukedea.
EC Deputy Spokesperson Paul Bukenya recently told Daily Monitor that he was not aware of the matter.
However, in June, NRM Electoral Commission Chairperson Tanga Odoi confirmed that Speaker Among had been nominated unopposed as the party’s flagbearer for the Bukedea Woman MP seat after her challenger, Hellen Odeke, was disqualified over residency questions.
“The NRM Secretary General wrote to me that they had investigated and found out that Ms. Odeke is not a resident of Malera village where she registered, but just bought a piece of land there,” Odoi said.
Under Part III, Section 4 of the Parliamentary Elections Act (2005), a person qualifies to be a Member of Parliament if they are a citizen of Uganda, a registered voter, and have completed Advanced Level education or its equivalent.
The law also bars individuals of unsound mind, traditional leaders, bankrupt persons, or those convicted of crimes involving dishonesty or election offences within seven years from standing for Parliament.