The National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate James Leku Pilli, is the new Member of Parliament-elect for Adjumani West County Constituency.
He was declared winner of Thursday’s parliamentary by-election by the Adjumani District Returning Officer Eunice Christine Akao, with 12,423 votes, while his only challenger, Gasper Oraga got 2,559 votes.
The two-horse race to replace former area MP the late General Moses Ali pitted NRM’s Leku against independent candidate Oraga, after two other candidates withdrew at the last minute.
Four candidates were initially nominated: Ben Anyama (Independent), Gasper Draga (Independent), James Leku Pilli (NRM), and Patrick Tandrupasi (Independent). Anyama and Tandrupasi subsequently withdrew, leaving the contest between NRM’s James Leku Pilli and Independent Gasper Draga.
The two candidates’ withdrawal drew mixed reaction from the opposition political parties with the Justice Forum describing the move as suspicious and confusing to the voters.
According to the Electoral Commission, Adjumani West County Constituency has 51,437 registered voters and 114 polling stations.
