The Democratic Party (DP) has emerged as the strongest Opposition party in the Acholi Sub-region after winning five parliamentary seats in an area that had long been seen as a stronghold of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC). The DP winners include party president general and Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Norbert Mao, who won the Laroo-Pece Division seat in Gulu City; Peter Okot for Tochi County in Omoro District; Patrick Okello Onguti for Aswa County in Gulu District; Geoffrey Charles Okello for Nwoya East in Nwoya District; and Geoffrey Opiyo for Nwoya County in Nwoya District.
Mao defeated the incumbent, Rev Fr Charles Onen, after polling 7,359 votes against Fr Onen’s 5,562 votes. Other candidates in the race included Tonny Kitara of the NRM, who got 2,867 votes; Simon Opoka of UPC with 381 votes; Geoffrey Komakech of FDC with 236 votes; Wilfred Opobo, an Independent, with 207 votes; Charles Odokonyero, also an Independent, who got 77 votes; and Samuel Okello of the DF, who came last with 65 votes. In Aswa County, Onguti defeated Simon Peter Wokorach of the ruling party. Onguti secured 13,889 votes, while Wokorach received 9,781 votes.
Other contenders were Johnson Olwa Agara, an Independent, who got 707 votes; Walter Okot, also an Independent, with 174 votes; and James Oringa of FDC, who polled 202 votes. In Nwoya District, Peter Okot was declared winner of a closely contested race after defeating NRM’s Lilly Adong. Okot polled 4,249 votes against Adong’s 3,624 votes. Other candidates included Patrick Akena Candano, an Independent, with 3,057 votes; Nelson Ojok Oyet, also an Independent, who got 121 votes; Moses Cankara Mwaka of FDC with 96 votes; and Brian Rwotomiyo of PFF with 52 votes. In the Nwoya County race, Geoffrey Opiyo won with 5,044 votes, narrowly beating the incumbent MP, Tony Awany of the NRM, who polled 5,022 votes.
Emmanuel Orach, who ran as an Independent, got 2,029 votes. Others were Emmanuel Ocitti Onyai of UPC with 372 votes; Kennedy Okello with 259 votes; Okello Otti Alfred, an Independent, with 84 votes; and Samuel of the FDC, who came last with 74 votes. Meanwhile, two junior ministers are among the 11 Members of Parliament who lost their seats in last week’s general elections in the Acholi Sub-region. State Minister for the Environment Beatrice Anywar failed to retain the Kitgum Municipality seat after losing to Denis Onekalit Amere. Amere polled 6,176 votes, while Anywar received 5,013 votes. This marks the second time Anywar has lost to Amere.
Anywar, a former strong supporter of the FDC, previously represented Kitgum Municipality in the eighth Parliament before crossing to the ruling party. Similarly, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Henry Oryem Okello lost the Chua East County seat. He was defeated by newcomer John Calvin Okoya, who ran as an Independent. Okoya won by a margin of 2,391 votes after securing 14,688 votes against Oryem’s 12,297 votes.