Lyandor Komakech, the candidate DP for Gulu City West, Layibi-Bardege Division, together with Otim Geoffrey, the Mayor of Laroo-Pece Gulu East City Division, the candidate for Mayor, and Otim Francis, the Councilor 1V for Kirome Ward, Layibi-Bardege, appeared to address the press at Northern Uganda Media Club (NUMEC), spelling doom on the January 15, 2026, general and Presidential polls
Argued NUMEC media fraternity that the election has been marred with legal action arising from illegal electoral practices in the Laroo-Pece Division mayoral election. Komakech cited his case on January 15, 2026. There were major ballot papers ticking from Gulu UPDF4th Division, which also marred and tainted the Uganda election, as the EC Commissioner decided to abandon the Biometric machine system to allow pre-ballot stuffing.
GULU CITY-SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2026
By Okumu Livingstone Langol, Our Correspondent.
Hon. Lyandor Komakech, the MP candidate for Layibi-Bardege, Gulu City East Division and Otim Geoffrey, while addressing members of Northern Uganda Media Club, in Gulu City on Friday, January 30, appealed to voters to be patient as they are ready for legal action due heavily multi practices in the Gulu City mayoral and parliamentary election against them.
“For Otim Geoffrey his case stand a test, we expect Northern Uganda to stand originally in the case of law, we stand to fight the court of law, and we need to have a Clare record for any election voters, must vote, I am not offering as an individuals, we are giving a lot of time to do research in this, we must object the leaders that used election fraud.” Hon. Lyandor Komakech warned.
Otim Francis, the Councilor for Kirome ward, Layibi-Bardege West Division, added his voice, saying that I have to say it seems that some leaders in Government have bad intentions for Acholi.
Citing that in the case of his area, Kirome Ward, money was involved, salt, and soap were distributed all night. What we are saying, we want to see the electoral process; we need to see the future of Gulu City.
“For me, Otim Francis, Otim Geoffrey mayor did not lose, it was the people of Laroo-Pece Division, Gulu City and Acholi, including Ugandans. Otim Geoffrey mayor, built the Pece-laroo City Council hall to the level of Uganda Parliament, built a perimeter wall as a modern state of the heart. To me, I believe people should open their eyes; they should not fight the leaders.
People of Lajwaa Tek village, the industrial park is coming. People of Oitino village, the industrial park is coming.
Otim Geoffrey, when asked about the issue of the biometric system machine which was used on January 22, 2026, the Local Government election, but was not used during the Parliamentary and Presidential election, why the EC Commissioner decided to use it, was a ploy to hoodwink Uganda and the international community that the Uganda election process was genius?
The Mayor for Laroo-Pece, Gulu City Division, observed that the issue with the biometric system machine cannot be explained.
“I cannot tell how effective the biometric machine works, because we have to witness for the voters who voted many times in the just mayoral, January 22, more than ten times, we have the witnesses, they can attest to this. The money was involved, you know where the money was going from people should have been served, I should be judged according to what I work being mayor, and today a mayor is built over a period of time.
No way can be built not only for two years, but we also collect garbage from Monday to Monday, the other Cities Divisions do not collect those Garbage.” Otim Geoffrey warned.
Adding those notices, this petition is not for me; it is for the Aroo-Pece Division people. We have people in the office with no qualifications. Society grows with many bad leaders. Citing that the detailed planning of the city, size of the road from the new Division, which was brought to part of Gulu City Division, especially in the Laroo-Pece Division, the size of the road was Seven meter wide. But in Gulu City, we have 20 meters wide.
When asked whether he is going to work with the new mayor-elect, Aber Gifter, Otim Geoffrey says, his priority is to improve the health facilities, the education sector, and to improve the quality of education and performance, face-lifting.
He was questioned that if the legal issues would go through, what his second move would be, and if he work with the newly elected mayor.
No, I am a leader, I can work outside the office
Press release issued by Otim Geoffrey during press conference at Northern Uganda Media Club, it read as follows:
Verbatim
I, Otim Geoffrey, candidate for City Division Mayor of Laroo-Pece Division, Gulu City, hereby place the public and all responsible institutions on formal notice that the recently concluded mayoral election was materially compromised by widespread and unlawful electoral practices, including voter bribery, illegal inducements, abuse of administrative influence and coordinated voter manipulation.
These acts constitute grave violations of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, the Local Government Act, and the Parliamentary and Presidential Elections Acts. (As applicable). The scale, coordination, and the effect of these illegalities substantially affected the result of the election and rendered the process neither free nor fair.
I categorically stated that for these unlawful practices, the outcome of the election would have been fundamentally different. The election, therefore, fails the legal threshold of credibility and legitimacy required under Ugandan electoral jurisprudence.
Accordingly, I confirm that my legal team is finalizing an election petition and related legal actions, supported by documented evidence, affidavits, written witness testimony, and material proof, to be filed before the competent courts of law within the prescribed statutory timelines.
I further demand that the Electoral Commission and relevant law-enforcement agencies immediately preserve all electoral materials and records relating to the Laroo-Pece Division, as any destruction, alteration, or interference with evidence shall attract serious legal consequences.
Let it be unequivocally clear that electoral fraud will be contested, prosecuted, and exposed through lawful judicial processes. The people of the Laroo-Pece Division deserve leadership grounded in the rule of law, not in financial inducement or coercion.
I remain committed to peaceful, constitutional, and legal avenues in the defense of the vote and the integrity of democratic governance.
Issued by
Otim Geoffrey
Candidate, Division-Gulu City.
