The National Resistance Movement (NRM) Election Disputes Tribunal has annulled Jacqueline Mbabazi’s selection as the party’s flag bearer for Member of Parliament representing Older Persons in the Western Region.

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Jacqueline, who is married to former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi, lost her position after the Tribunal determined that her vote count included ballots that were wrongly added to her total.

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This ruling was made by Tribunal Chairperson John Musiime, along with members Nelson Kamuhanda and Esau Isingoma.

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In its Thursday verdict, the Tribunal directed the NRM Electoral Commission to conduct a fresh election within 14 days, citing significant irregularities in the previous voting process.

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The outcome follows a second petition submitted by Patrick Kyamukate Mutabwire, who had earlier contested the results but was initially unsuccessful. Mutabwire sought a review of that earlier decision by returning to the same Tribunal.

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In the initial judgment issued on September 5th, 2025, the Tribunal acknowledged that there were discrepancies in the vote count, including an error that incorrectly awarded 46 additional votes to Mbabazi.

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Despite this, the Tribunal had initially ruled that these irregularities did not affect the final result, as Mbabazi maintained a lead of seven votes.

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Following that decision, Mutabwire reapplied for a review, presenting what he claimed was crucial new evidence that had not been available during the first hearing.

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Among the new submissions was a certified copy of the electoral college register, issued by the NRM Electoral Commission after the initial ruling. He also provided sworn affidavits and video recordings to support his case.

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According to this new material, the certified register revealed that 28 individuals were listed more than once, five were unlawfully substituted, and three deceased persons were recorded as having voted.

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Mutabwire’s evidence further indicated that although only 364 voters were eligible, the final tally reflected 430 votes an overage of 66 votes.

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He argued that such severe irregularities rendered the earlier ruling untenable.

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The Tribunal, led by Counsel John Musiime, accepted that this evidence had not been accessible earlier, despite efforts by the petitioner.

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The respondents, Jacqueline Mbabazi and Dr. Tanga Odoi who serves as the NRM Electoral Commission chairperson did not respond to the application or file any rebuttal evidence.

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After examining the new evidence, the Tribunal concluded that the integrity of the election had been deeply undermined.

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The ruling stated that the irregularities were both qualitative, impacting the legitimacy of the voter register, and quantitative, as the total votes cast exceeded the legal threshold. The Tribunal emphasized that such extensive over-voting made it impossible to accurately determine the electorate’s true intent.

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Mutabwire requested to be declared the rightful winner, claiming that without the illegal votes, he would have led by 29 votes.

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Nevertheless, the Tribunal declined this request, stating that the exact distribution of the illegal votes could not be verified.

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“Declaring a new winner without full certainty would be speculation, which the law does not allow”, read the decision.

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Instead, the Tribunal nullified the election result and instructed the NRM Electoral Commission to hold a new election in accordance with the Constitution and party guidelines.

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This marks the second time a result from the August 2025 Central Executive Committee Elections has been overturned.

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Source: URN

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