By Bill Dan Arnold Borodi
Bright Atuhaire, a second-year law student at Uganda Christian University (UCU) and a runner-up in the just concluded guild president election, and his campaign agent William Eronda George have filed a petition before the institution’s Election Appeals Board challenging the eligibility of Guild presidential candidate Abraham Elomaboni and calling for the nullification of the November 13 Guild elections.
The petition centres on the reinstatement of Elomaboni, who had previously been vetted out by both the School of Law Faculty Vetting Committee and the Joint Board Vetting Committee over concerns about the authenticity of his baptism and confirmation documents, key requirements for contesting the Guild Presidency under UCU regulations.
According to the petition, the Directorate of Student Affairs (DOSA) directed the Electoral Commission (EC) on November 3 to reinstate Elomaboni, citing a fresh verification of his religious documents. The petitioners, however, contend that no official communication from the authorities alleged to have verified the documents was provided and they argue that the DOSA’s intervention contravened established electoral procedures. The petition also references a public letter circulated by Elomaboni in which he reportedly acknowledged his inability to defend the documents during the vetting stages, raising further questions about the legitimacy of his reinstatement.
Beyond candidate eligibility, the petition details a series of alleged irregularities during the elections. The petitioners claim that the faculties of Theology and Education were excluded from participating in the presidential vote, that discrepancies existed between the verified voter register and the digital system, and that voter codes were sent prematurely, in some cases as early as 1:00 a.m., potentially allowing unauthorised access.
Other allegations include multiple expired or pre-used voter codes, inaccessible ballots for some students suggesting prior use, opaque tallying procedures with agents denied real-time vote displays, and inconsistencies in vote totals, including a case from the School of Business where the total votes announced exceeded the sum of votes allocated to candidates.
The petition also raises concerns about the conduct of the Deputy Speaker of the 27th Guild Assembly, who is accused of openly campaigning for a candidate despite her constitutional responsibility to serve as a neutral returning officer in the Speaker’s absence. The petitioners argue that this compromised the integrity of the office and violated UCU’s leadership standards.
In the petition, Atuhaire and Eronda are seeking declarations that Elomaboni is unqualified to contest in the 2025 Guild Presidential race, that the November 13 election results be nullified and that Elomaboni be barred from participating in future UCU elections for at least seven years. They also request that all swearing-in ceremonies be suspended until the petition is fully adjudicated.
According to sources, the Election Appeals Board tribunal is scheduled to convene tomorrow to begin reviewing the matter.
Chapter 9, article 93(4) of the UCU Guild election as amended states that, the hearing of a petition shall be in camera and the burden of proof shall rest on the party or parties seeking to overturn the declared election. Article 93(5) further states that, after due inquiry, the relevant tribunal may dismiss the petition, declare which candidate was validly elected or annul the election election results, in which case a fresh election must be held within 7 days. The ruling will be announced within 24 hours of issuance.
