The National Resistance Movement (NRM) Electoral Tribunal has dismissed a petition challenging the victory of Minister Hellen Adoa as the party’s flag bearer for Serere District, citing lack of merit.
The ruling was delivered by a three-member panel chaired by John Musiime, with members Tendo Lubwama and Joseph Odongo concurring.
In their decision, the Tribunal stated that the petitioner, Esther Lucy Acom, failed to present sufficient evidence to support her allegations of electoral malpractice in the recently concluded NRM primaries.
“The petition lacked merit and could not stand the required legal and evidential test. The declaration of Hon. Hellen Adoa as the duly elected NRM flag bearer for Serere District is therefore upheld,” the panel ruled.
Acom had accused Minister Adoa of engaging in voter bribery, inciting poll violence, and manipulating election results.
However, during the hearing, it emerged that much of the evidence presented was either outdated or irrelevant to the 2025 primaries.
Notably, Acom was found to have included results from the 2015 party elections, a move that the Tribunal said undermined the credibility of her case.
Minister Adoa, who serves as the Minister of State for Fisheries, welcomed the decision and expressed gratitude to the Tribunal for what she termed a “fair and transparent” process.
“This ruling confirms what we have been saying all along, that the people of Serere spoke clearly during the primaries. I thank the Tribunal for upholding the truth and my supporters for standing firm,” she told reporters after the verdict.
She further called for unity within the NRM in Serere, urging her political rivals to work together for the party’s victory in the 2026 general elections.
“It is time to put politics of division behind us and focus on service delivery. The people deserve leaders who can unite and deliver,” Adoa added.
Acom is yet to issue an official statement but her campaign team said Acom was disappointed by the decision but remained committed to the NRM cause.
They urged her supporters to remain calm, hinting that she would consult her legal team on the possibility of an appeal.
The dismissal of this petition adds to a growing list of recent Tribunal decisions in the Teso sub-region, where several electoral disputes have been resolved in favor of incumbent flag bearers.
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