NRM claims all parliamentary seats in Pader district

18 January 2026, 09:33

By Ekel Bonny Daniel

Pader District, which has a total of 268 polling stations and up to 98,076 registered voters, has witnessed a clean sweep by the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) in the recently concluded parliamentary elections, further strengthening the party’s hold on the district’s political landscape.

In Aruu North Constituency, Ottober Wellborn Odiya (NRM) emerged victorious with 14,327 votes, defeating his closest challenger Kibwota George, who garnered 7,315 votes. The incumbent, Santa Okot, finished third with 4,578 votes.

Meanwhile, the Aruu County parliamentary seat was narrowly retained by the incumbent Komakech Christopher (NRM), who polled 10,455 votes, edging out Samuel Odonga Otto by a slim margin of 26 votes.

Odonga received 10,429 votes. Odonga has since rejected the results, citing Section 54(1)(b) of the Parliamentary Elections Act, 2005, which allows for a mandatory recount where the vote difference is less than 50 votes.

Responding to the recount request, Eric Gimei, the Pader District Returning Officer, said that after consulting his technical team, the request could not be granted administratively and advised Odonga to seek legal redress in court.

In the Woman Member of Parliament race, Lowila CD Oketayot (NRM) clinched the seat with a commanding 22,690 votes, defeating independent incumbent Aciro Paska Menya, who polled 16,213 votes.

Aciro Lucy Otim of the Democratic Front (DF) came third with 3,847 votes. A total of six candidates contested the woman MP seat.

These results further consolidate NRM’s dominance in Pader District, although the closely contested Aruu County race is expected to attract legal scrutiny in the coming days.