The opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) parliamentary candidate for Kachumbala County in Bukedea District is facing a petition before the Electoral Commission over alleged falsification of voter signatures used during his nomination.
The petition, filed on October 31, 2025, by George William Atum through Wamimbi Advocates and Solicitors, challenges the legality of Charles Ongelech’s nomination on October 23.
Atum alleges that several signatures submitted in support of the candidate were forged.
Under Section 11(1)(a) of the Parliamentary Elections Act, Cap 177, a candidate must submit a list of at least ten registered voters endorsing their nomination, with each providing a valid signature corresponding to their national identity card.
Atum claims that upon inspecting Ongelech’s nomination papers, he discovered discrepancies indicating that the signatures of some voters had been falsified.
‘The six out of ten listed voters have denied ever supporting or endorsing the said candidate and have further confirmed that their signatures were forged on nomination papers,’ Atum states in his petition.
The contested signatures reportedly belong to Anna Christine Atukei, Paul Aolio, John Bosco Anyapa, Brian Malinga, and Philip Isimai, among others.
Atum alleges that one of Ongelech’s campaign agents, identified as Robert Ochan, illegally obtained copies of national identity cards from residents through his solar panel business and used them to falsify endorsements.
He argues that the alleged forgery violates electoral law and renders the nomination ‘null and void.’ The petitioner has asked the Electoral Commission to strike Ongelech off the list of duly nominated candidates and conduct further verification.
In response, Ongelech denied the allegations, describing them as a politically motivated attempt to discredit his campaign.
‘We were not surprised when we were served the petition, because we saw this coming,’ he told Monitor.
He claimed that six of his supporters were abducted at gunpoint and forced to make statements implicating him.
‘These people were tortured and forced to make testimonies pinning me as one who got nominated using falsified signatures whereas not,’ he said.
Ongelech further alleged that his father had been approached and threatened to convince him to withdraw from the race.
He maintains that he will appear before the Electoral Commission to defend himself ‘against the schemes of Bukedea’s political kingmakers’ and insists that ‘the people must be free to elect leaders of their choice.’
Ongelech and David Stephen Omagor are challenging Patrick Isaigi Opolot, the incumbent MP for Kachumbala County and proprietor of Amus College.