I am Done with NRM Party and Their Messes, Says LC5 Hon Obitre Stephen as He Picks a Nomination Form to Run as an Independent After Losing Both the Primary Election and the Election Petition.

Story by Osuta Yusuf.
Maracha District.
2-September-2025.

The incumbent Maracha District LC5 Chairperson Hon Obitre Stephen who lost in the 24-7-2025 NRM primary election for District Chairperson race and also lost on Monday 1-September-2025 the petition which he had filed against the election of District speaker Rt Hon Wani Emmanuel who emerged victorious in the NRM primary election, has rejected the petition ruling delivered by the NRM Tribunal. 
In June 2025, the NRM Party Secretariat instituted the NRM Election Petition Tribunal to hear and rule on disputes arising from the NRM primary elections for Local Council, Parliamentary,, and CEC elections.
It should be noted that, during the 24-7-2025 NRM primary election for District Chairperson elections, Rt Hon Wanni Emmanuel, who has served for over 15 years as a District Councilor and 10 years as a district speaker, polled 20,298 votes, followed by Hon Adripiyo Emmanuel who polled 11,192 votes, followed by the incumbent LC5 Chairperson Hon Obitre Stephen who polled 10,221 votes, and Hon Adiga Lawrence Wilfred Ozubia who got 4,623 votes in the LC5 Chairperson primary elections.
When our news reporter contacted Hon Obitre Stephen this Tuesday evening, 2-September-2025, at 7pm for a comment about the election petition he filed within the five days after the declaration of primary election results, and a ruling dismissing the petition was delivered on Monday, 1-September-2025, he criticized the Tribunal for not dispensing justice transparently and fairly.
When we were in State House recently, President Museveni even made comments regarding the mess in the primary elections and also the unfair type of justice the NRM Tribunal is perpetuating, and he was even proposing criminal investigations but the time is not enough for all that, meaning he knows the entire processes were not free and fair, Hon Obitre quoted during the telephone call interview with our news reporter on Tuesday evening.
“To prove these people right, the Tribunal would have come on ground to investigate by collecting the Tallying sheets and declaration forms and verifying them! I don't know how they did the verification but they have done what they can and we are going to leave it at that”, the embattled LC5 lamented as he Vows to take the entire case to public opinion court to judge if the petition ruling was right or wrong.
Asked on his next plan after losing both the primary election and the election petition, Hon Obitre Stephen stated that, by the time they traveled to Kampala for the National NRM Party Delegates Conference, many people who have been yearning for him to continue serving the district, had already gone to pick for him the nomination form, filled them and they are ready to pay for his nomination and others.
“Why not come as an Independent?. The other day when we were at Kololo for the Delegates Conference, people had already picked nomination form for me, filled it and are offering me financial support towards my nomination, and that is public demand which I can not turn down”, the incumbent LC5 Chairperson said in the telephone call interview with our news reporter.

In his conclusion, Hon Obitre noted that, he will present himself for nomination either tomorrow Wednesday or on Thursday 4-September-2025 as they await public Judgement which will be on the election day.

Efforts to get a comment from the official NRM party flag bearer, Rt Hon Wani Emmanuel regarding the petition ruling in his favor, was futile as he didn't pick the telephone call of our reporter.
With the coming of Hon Obitre Stephen on Independent ticket, the number of potential candidates who have shown interest to vie to become the district Boss in the next five years, now tops to 4 people and they include; Rt Hon Wani Emmanuel (NRM Party), Hon Obitre Stephen (Independent), Adriko Fred (NUP Party) and Ayikobua Philliam (DP Party).
Stay tuned for more news.