OCTOBER 5 2026 SET FOR NEBBI MUNICIPALITY’S MP ELECTION PETITION

The petitioner Hon. Hashim Sulaiman the former Nebbi municipality MP speaking after the pretrial at Arua High Court on Thursday – photo by Morish Dramadri

By Barbra Yikiru

Arua city

The fate of the Nebbi municipality parliamentary seat is hanging in balance as the high court sitting in Arua starts its hotly contested election petition today to debate on the matters arising between the plaintiff in this matter Hashim Sulaiman against Hon. Ongiertho Emmanuel Jor and the electoral commission, with the petition hearing set to commence on oct, 5, 2026.

In the January, 2026 parliamentary election, the petitioner Hashim sulaiman and Hon. Ongiertho Emmanuel Jor the incumbent Nebbi municipality Member of Parliament contested for the seat where the incumbent was declared a winner having obtained 6084 votes against the petitioner who obtained 5168 votes creating a difference of 874 votes.

However the petitioner Hashim Sulaiman and his lawyer kiyaga launched a petition challenging the outcome of the election on grounds that hon. Ongiertho Emmanuel Jor was not validly nominated following his transfer from Jonam County to Nebbi municipality, and the mass transfer of voters from another constituency, bribery and voter intimidation

Speaking shortly after the pretrial proceeding presided over by high court judge lady justice Celia Nagawa on Thursday, kiyaga steven counsel representing the petitioner discloses that,

“The first respondent was Hon. Ongiertho Emmanuel is not validly nominated because his from Jonam county to Nebbi municipality has an issue, secondly the issue of another mass transfer of voters is still an issue, thirdly the issue of bribery is also an issue in this petition,” said Kiyaga

But the first respondent Hon. Ongiertho Emmanuel Jor represented by his lawyer Patrick Oyet disputes the claims arguing that the nomination and the declaration followed the lawful procedures.

Meanwhile Hashim Sulaiman the petitioner, expresses confidence over the victory in the case based on the strength of his affidavits against the respondents in the matter.

“we have very strong affidavits and facts because for us we are not lying we have bringing real witnesses and with real facts, so with the number of affidavits they have also they are already scared because we have over 145 with supplements and it goes to about 150 now against their 3,” Hon. Hashim lamented

Written by newsroom-radiopacis