By Mike Rwothomio

Directly elected male district councilors in Panyimur Town Council, Pakwach district have raised concerns with the Electoral Commission’s Pakwach Branch after discovering discrepancies in their assigned symbols on the ballot papers, amid the ongoing 2026 local government elections cycle.

The irregularity surfaced today during the ballot paper verification and confirmation exercise at Abok polling station, prompting immediate dissatisfaction among the affected aspirants.

Both aspirants expressed strong disappointment over the discrepancy, which they say confused voters and undermined the integrity of the poll.

One of the impacted candidates Okumu Robert , the former Nebbi District LCV Chairperson who is contesting as the NRM flag bearer, confirmed that the Electoral Commission had been formally notified of the issue.

" to our surprise, we found that there was an interchange in the ballot paper. Instead of my name was number one, but the portrait was for my opponent. Therefore, the symbol was mine also. So it has brought a lot of confusion to us" Okumu revealed.

He added that , " all the electorate who came very early in the morning to vote, were all annoyed and then they decided to leave the polling station"

NRM Candidate Okumu Robert attributed the discrepancy to administrative error and called on voters " to remain calm", assuring them that the Commission would soon announce a rescheduled polling date.

Meanwhile, independent candidate Rova Victor Alex expressed optimism, noting that "similar issues had arisen during the earlier NRM primary elections in the area, where outcomes had not favored many contestants" 

Background on the race shows that in the NRM primaries held in Panyimur Town Council last year, Okumu Robert secured 2,016 votes, while Victor Rova garnered 1,899 votes. The close margin prompted Rova to contest in the general election as an independent.

The Electoral Commission has not yet released an official statement on the new polling date or further details on corrective measures for the ballot papers.

Efforts to obtain a direct response from the Pakwach District Returning Officer Sarah Nabukera regarding the discrepancy were unsuccessful.

Voters and stakeholders in Pakwach District are waiting for official communication from the Electoral Commission.

Meanwhile, elections for District Chairperson, Directly Elected District Councillors, and District Women Councillors in other parts of the district proceeded without interruption.

The election recorded low voter turnout across the district and the entire greater Nebbi Subregion, according to reports.

Specifically, the NRM candidate Robert Okumu (associated with the NRM bus symbol, his name, and photo) had these details swapped with those of the Independent candidate Rova Victor Alex (including his name, photo, and symbol).

Mike Rwothomio is news editor at zoomer Africa, your number one grassroot information hub.