A high-stakes legal battle over the Parliamentary seat for Oyam South Constituency has taken a dramatic new turn, with defeated candidate Queen Dorothy Amolo filing an Amended Election Petition that accuses the District Returning Officer of personally orchestrating the "falsification of election returns."
The amended petition, filed on Monday, 16th March 2026, at the High Court in Lira, introduces explosive new allegations of misconduct against the 2nd Respondent and District Returning Officer, Mr. Omona Joseph. Ms. Amolo is challenging the 15th January 2026 victory of the declared winner, Mr. Ogwang Patrick Obura (3rd Respondent), arguing that the entire process was fundamentally illegal.
A high-stakes legal battle over the Parliamentary seat for Oyam South Constituency has taken a dramatic new turn, with defeated candidate Queen Dorothy Amolo filing an Amended Election Petition that accuses the District Returning Officer of personally orchestrating the "falsification of election returns."
The amended petition, filed on Monday, 16th March 2026, at the High Court in Lira, introduces explosive new allegations of misconduct against the 2nd Respondent and District Returning Officer, Mr. Omona Joseph. Ms. Amolo is challenging the 15th January 2026 victory of the declared winner, Mr. Ogwang Patrick Obura (3rd Respondent), arguing that the entire process was fundamentally illegal.
At the heart of the amended petition is a contentious issue of identity. Ms. Amolo, through her lawyers, asserts that her lawful name—Queen Dorothy Amolo—was unlawfully excluded from the ballot paper. She claims that in its place, the Returning Officer included and subsequently declared votes for an "alien, non-nominated, and non-registered person" named Queen Dorothy Alweny.
Court documents show that the petitioner lawfully changed her name by Deed Poll, published in the Uganda Gazette on 18th September 2020, formally renouncing her former name. She argues that the Electoral Commission (1st Respondent) had full knowledge of this, having verified her National ID and Deed Poll during her valid nomination on 22nd October 2025.
"No vote was cast for the name 'Queen Dorothy Amolo,' yet the Returning Officer declared votes for that name," the petition avers, describing the act as a "fundamental illegality" and not a mere clerical error. The document goes further to specifically accuse Mr. Omona Joseph of "wilful misconduct, abuse of office, and falsification of election returns contrary to Section 97 of the Parliamentary Elections Act."
The legal challenge, filed under Articles 1, 61, 68, and 86 of the Constitution, as well as Sections 60, 61, 63, 79, 80, and 97 of the Parliamentary Elections Act, seeks to have the results for Oyam South nullified. Ms. Amolo contends that invalid votes cast in the name of Alweny were unlawfully attributed to her, effectively stealing the mandate from the validly nominated candidate.
The amended petition was filed just one day after the initial petition was lodged on the 13th, signaling the urgency with which the petitioner's legal team is moving to secure the evidence and arguments. Legal experts note that accusations of falsification against a Returning Officer are among the gravest an election court can consider.
Neither the Electoral Commission nor the declared winner, Mr. Ogwang Patrick Obura, had issued a statement by press time. The case is expected to be set for hearing in the coming weeks, and it could potentially unseat the sitting MP if the court finds merit in the allegations of the amended petition.
At the heart of the amended petition is a contentious issue of identity. Ms. Amolo, through her lawyers, asserts that her lawful name—Queen Dorothy Amolo—was unlawfully excluded from the ballot paper. She claims that in its place, the Returning Officer included and subsequently declared votes for an "alien, non-nominated, and non-registered person" named Queen Dorothy Alweny.
Court documents show that the petitioner lawfully changed her name by Deed Poll, published in the Uganda Gazette on 18th September 2020, formally renouncing her former name. She argues that the Electoral Commission (1st Respondent) had full knowledge of this, having verified her National ID and Deed Poll during her valid nomination on 22nd October 2025.
"No vote was cast for the name 'Queen Dorothy Amolo,' yet the Returning Officer declared votes for that name," the petition avers, describing the act as a "fundamental illegality" and not a mere clerical error. The document goes further to specifically accuse Mr. Omona Joseph of "wilful misconduct, abuse of office, and falsification of election returns contrary to Section 97 of the Parliamentary Elections Act."
The legal challenge, filed under Articles 1, 61, 68, and 86 of the Constitution, as well as Sections 60, 61, 63, 79, 80, and 97 of the Parliamentary Elections Act, seeks to have the results for Oyam South nullified. Ms. Amolo contends that invalid votes cast in the name of Alweny were unlawfully attributed to her, effectively stealing the mandate from the validly nominated candidate.
The amended petition was filed just one day after the initial petition was lodged on the 16th,signaling the urgency with which the petitioner's legal team is moving to secure the evidence and arguments. Legal experts note that accusations of falsification against a Returning Officer are among the gravest an election court can consider.
Neither the Electoral Commission nor the declared winner, Mr. Ogwang Patrick Obura, had issued a statement by press time. The case is expected to be set for hearing in the coming weeks, and it could potentially unseat the sitting MP if the court finds merit in the allegations of the amended petition.
