The National Resistance Movement (NRM) Electoral Tribunal has dismissed a petition filed by former Pingire County parliamentary aspirant Peter Ojiit challenging the victory of Philip Oucor in the recently concluded party primaries.
In its ruling, delivered on Tuesday afternoon via Email, the three-member panel chaired by Paul Rutisya, alongside Tony Tumukunde and Begumya Rushongoza, unanimously found that the petitioner failed to provide sufficient evidence to support his claims of electoral malpractice.
The tribunal consequently upheld the earlier declaration by the NRM Electoral Commission, confirming Philip Oucor as the duly elected NRM flag bearer for Member of Parliament representing Pingire Constituency in Serere District.
The petition by Ojiit stemmed from the hotly contested NRM primaries held earlier this month, in which Oucor emerged victorious with 7,503 votes against Ojiit’s 6,509 votes.
Other candidates trailed significantly, with incumbent MP Fred Opolot securing 1,976 votes, while the rest scored less than 1,200 votes each.
Following the announcement by NRM EC Chairperson Dr. Tanga Odoi, Ojiit rejected the results, alleging irregularities in some polling stations, particularly in Akumoi One and Akumoi Two parishes.
He claimed that Declaration of Results forms (DR forms) were tampered with in favor of Oucor and sought the tribunal’s intervention to nullify the results.
In its detailed ruling, the tribunal noted that while the petitioner raised “serious-sounding allegations,” he failed to present concrete evidence such as signed DR forms, witness testimonies from polling agents, or verified tally discrepancies to substantiate the claims.
“The burden of proof rests with the petitioner. It is not enough to allege that forms were altered; one must show the altered forms and prove that the alterations materially affected the outcome,” read part of the tribunal’s decision.
The panel also dismissed the argument that tallying in some polling stations was rushed, observing that the petitioner did not demonstrate how this alleged haste compromised the credibility of the process.
“In the absence of sufficient and credible evidence, this tribunal cannot overturn the democratic decision of the people of Pingire Constituency as expressed in the NRM primaries,” the ruling stated.
The tribunal further reminded all aspirants that internal party disputes must be grounded in verifiable facts rather than hearsay and public opinion.
Speaking to TNN this morning, an elated Philip Oucor welcomed the tribunal’s decision, describing it as “a victory for truth, democracy, and the will of the people of Pingire.”
“I am grateful to God, the NRM leadership, and the people of Pingire for standing with me. This victory is not mine alone, it belongs to all those who believe in transparent leadership and genuine service delivery,” Oucor said.
“Now is the time to put the primaries behind us and unite as a party to deliver for our people in 2026 and beyond.”
He extended an olive branch to Ojiit and other former competitors, urging them to join forces in strengthening the NRM base in Pingire.
As of today’s morning, Ojiit had not issued a formal statement in response to the tribunal’s decision.
However, sources close to his campaign team indicated that he was consulting supporters and weighing his political options ahead of the 2026 general elections.
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