Over the weekend, news broke about how the Nebbi Woman MP seat is unopposed with Phiona Nyamutoro being declared the only duly nominated candidate, sparking outrage from one section of the public and jubilations from another
The Electoral Commission (EC) declared Nyamutoro as unopposed for the position of Woman Member of Parliament for Nebbi District, following the disqualification of her only contender, Abedican Mercy Rebecca, for failing to meet the legal requirements for candidature.
The EC found that she did not meet the requirement of having at least ten registered voters from Nebbi District supporting her nomination, as stipulated under Section 28(1)(c) of the Parliamentary Elections Act.
The decision was communicated in a detailed letter dated 13th November 2025, signed by EC Chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama, and followed a petition filed earlier challenging Abedican’s nomination.
According to the Commission, two individuals Ongiera Godfrey and Bedic Jimmy filed affidavits stating that their names and signatures had been fraudulently used to endorse Abedican’s nomination. Both later appeared before the EC, where they denied supporting her candidacy. During cross-examination, Ongiera further clarified that he is a member of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and could not have endorsed a candidate sponsored by the National Unity Platform (NUP).
When Abedican Mercy Rebecca was called to respond, the Commission noted that she failed to provide sufficient evidence to counter the claims made by Ongiera and Bedic Jimmy.
In a meeting held on 7th November 2025, the Commission resolved that Abedican was ineligible for nomination due to non-compliance with the law. This overturned the Returning Officer’s earlier decision to nominate her.
With her rival disqualified, Phiona Nyamutoro now stands unopposed and will represent Nebbi District as Woman MP in the upcoming parliamentary term.