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President Yoweri Museveni, who is the chairman of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), has questioned the methods of operation used by the party's Electoral Commission chairman, Dr. Tanga Odoi, during the primary elections.
In a statement posted on X, Museveni said that following the mistakes made during the party primaries, Dr Odoi has been barred from being involved in correcting them.
He said the party lawyers advised against his involvement.
"What happens to the flagbearers who were fraudulently declared? Why doesn’t Tanga Odoi change and announce the proper results? Remember, the voting was by lining up, during the day, and everybody saw the results. How does anybody change that, other than making oneself a fool?" he wondered.
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"Our lawyers, however, have advised that Tanga Odoi cannot be the one who corrects a mistake that he made. It is the lawyers’ committee (the Tribunal) that will deal with politics and the law. They will, of course, be guided by the same facts that guided ISO and CID in arresting the criminals and charging them."
Yesterday, on Monday, July 21, the President announced that eight people involved in electoral malpractice during the NRM primaries had been arrested.
The eight were arrested as part of ongoing investigations into individuals the President termed as self-seekers who want to destroy the reputation of the NRM.
"... regarding the kutokooza (polluting) of the NRM primaries by self-seekers who do not care about the reputation and the glorious heritage of the NRM/NRA/FRONASA. This is a heritage of martyrs and heroes, not self-seekers who would, at the cost of their lives, assault machine-guns of the enemy," the President said in a post on X on Monday.
"I want to assure you that the state agencies of Uganda have started the necessary anti-crime actions against the self-seekers. They are starting with the clear cases of the idiots alleged to have altered the results in the tallying. Eight of them have been arrested. They are from Mayuge, Buyende, Kapchorwa, Pader, Oyam, Rwampara, Kareenga and Mbarara."
According to the President, more suspects are being followed up.
"Other targets are being followed up. I will keep you informed. Meanwhile, get us evidence against the other offences of violence, bribery and interfering with the registers," he said.
"I have constituted a committee of powerful lawyers to handle the petitions. We shall clean up the NRM as we also defend the wider interests of all Ugandans. Thank you."
The President said the mistakes made during the NRM primaries held last Thursday included altering results, tampering with the registers, violence and bribery.