Big Story! NRM Tribunal Nullifies Jacqueline Mbabazi’s Flag Bearer Seat For Older Persons, Orders Fresh Elections

By Frank Kamuntu 

In a stunning reversal of fortune, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Election Disputes Tribunal has nullified the victory of Jacqueline Mbabazi as the party’s flag bearer for the Member of Parliament seat representing Older Persons in Western Uganda, throwing the high-stakes race into fresh uncertainty.

The decision, announced in a ruling delivered Tuesday, comes barely three weeks after the same Tribunal had upheld Mbabazi’s victory in the hotly contested August 26 party primaries. Earlier this month, the Tribunal dismissed Petition No. CEC 001 of 2025, filed by her closest rival Patrick Kyamukate Mutabwire, confirming Mbabazi’s win with 215 votes against Mutabwire’s 162, while five other candidates shared 53 votes.

Tribunal Overturns Its Own Ruling

In a dramatic about-face, the three-member panel—comprising John Musime (Chairperson), Esau Isingoma, and Nelson Kamuhanda—cited serious electoral irregularities that they said “substantially affected the result,” warranting a fresh poll.

“Regulation 45(6) of the NRM Election Regulations empowers the Tribunal, where an election is not conducted in accordance with the Regulations and the irregularities substantially affect the result, to declare the election void and order a fresh election,” the ruling reads in part.

“The declaration of Jacqueline Mbabazi as NRM flag bearer cannot stand. The Tribunal therefore annuls the election and directs the NRM Electoral Commission to conduct a fresh poll in strict compliance with the law and the Regulations.”

The panel further reviewed and set aside its own earlier ruling of September 5, 2025, which had confirmed Mbabazi’s victory, directing that a new election be held within 14 days.

The nullification is a major blow to Mbabazi, wife of former Prime Minister and 2016 presidential contender John Patrick Amama Mbabazi, who had already begun preparing for the general elections. Her campaign had centred on improving healthcare for the elderly, safeguarding property rights, and expanding access to SACCO funding for older citizens.

Political observers say the Tribunal’s reversal underscores deepening internal rifts within the NRM and raises questions about the party’s management of electoral disputes. The decision also reopens the field for Mutabwire and the five other contenders who had challenged Mbabazi in the August primaries.

The NRM Electoral Commission is now under pressure to organise a new vote “in strict compliance with the NRM Constitution, the Regulations, and the Guidelines” within the stipulated two-week window.

The primaries, held during the NRM National Delegates’ Conference at Kololo in August, were initially viewed as a decisive victory for Mbabazi, cementing her return to frontline politics after years of relative quiet. With the Tribunal’s ruling, however, the Western Region Older Persons seat has once again become one of the most closely watched contests inside Uganda’s ruling party.

As of press time, Jacqueline Mbabazi had not issued an official statement on the shock decision, while the NRM Electoral Commission has yet to release the roadmap for the fresh election.