Pader to hold LCIII residual elections on March 12

24 February 2026, 7:20 pm

By Okwong Geoffrey

Residents of Pader District are set to return to the polls on March 12, 2026, following the scheduling of residual elections for several Local Council III (LCIII) positions by the Electoral Commission.

According to a letter dated February 20, 2026, signed by Richard Baabo Kamugisha, the Acting Secretary of the Commission, the elections will be conducted at sub-county, town council, and municipal division levels. The communication was addressed to all Returning Officers and District Election Administrators.

The Commission explained that during the general Local Government Council elections held on February 4, 2026, several electoral areas failed to conduct polls due to a number of challenges. These included mismatched candidate photographs, mix-ups of symbols, malfunctioning Biometric Voter Verification (BVVK) machines, ties between candidates, and incomplete demarcation of electoral areas.

Affected Areas in Pader

In Acholibur Sub-county, specifically Wiigweng and Omeda electoral areas, ballot papers were reportedly not delivered during the February 4 elections after polling officials discovered empty ballot boxes.

Eric Gemei, the Pader District Returning Officer, attributed the incident to packing errors at the Commission’s stores in Kampala when he addressed the matter on February 5.

In Acholibur Town Council, Kal Ward A and Kal Ward B were also affected after electoral materials were mixed up. Materials meant for Kal Ward A were mistakenly delivered to Kal Ward B and vice versa, disrupting the election process. The affected position in both wards is Sub-county Women Council III.

In Ajan Sub-county, elections at the sub-county headquarters polling station were cancelled following a tie between two candidates contesting for the Special Committee/Council Members for Persons with Disabilities (SCMPWD) position.

Similarly, both Atanga Sub-county and Atanga Town Council recorded ties between candidates vying for the position of Sub-county Male Youth Chairperson at the sub-county headquarters polling station.

Other Affected Polling Stations

Additional polling stations where elections were disrupted include:

• Adoo Primary School
• Acutomer Primary School
• Adula Polling Station
• Labwor Oyeng West Polling Station
• Acholibur SSS Polling Station
• Gang Kal Polling Station
• Ajan Sub-county Headquarters Polling Station
• Atanga Sub-county Headquarters Polling Station

The Electoral Commission has urged voters in the affected areas to participate peacefully in the upcoming residual elections to ensure that leadership gaps are addressed and duly elected representatives are put in place.