OYAM, UG – In a spirited campaign address that blended personal conviction with political defiance, Oyam District Woman Member of Parliament, Santa Alum, has declared she will continue using her husband’s surname, Ogwang, despite being summoned before an Electoral Commission tribunal over its use.
The incident unfolded on Monday in Acaba Sub-County, where Alum, amidst a cheering crowd, framed the issue as a matter of marital pride and personal identity.
“I was taken before a tribunal of the Electoral Commission for using the name of Ogwang, who is my husband,” Alum told the rally, her voice resonating with emotion. “So I am asking you, voters, is it bad to use the name of my husband, who married and wedded me?”
The question was met with roaring applause and shouts of support from the gathered constituents.
The tribunal's specific concerns were not detailed in her public remarks, but such challenges often revolve around allegations of potentially misleading voters or discrepancies in official nomination documents. However, Alum squarely positioned the issue as an affront to her marital union.
Rejecting any notion of wrongdoing, the MP made her stance unequivocally clear. “Amidst this cheering crowd, I want to say that I will continue using my husband’s name,” she proclaimed, solidifying her commitment as a point of principle.
The declaration transforms a legal and administrative matter into a powerful campaign narrative, tying her political identity directly to her personal life and appealing to cultural norms surrounding marriage.
As of now, the Electoral Commission has not yet come out with its ruling. The matter continues to draw attention, highlighting the intersection of personal identity, cultural practices, and electoral laws in Uganda's political landscape.
Santa Alum’s defiant stand in Acaba Sub-County signals her intention to fight any challenge to her candidacy on this basis, rallying supporters behind the symbolic banner of her marital name.
