A guy tried to win an election using a typo but failed miserably. The High Court in Uganda just threw out a petition from aspiring politician Ivan Bwowe, who wanted Leader of the Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi and six others kicked off the ballot. Bwowe claimed their nomination papers were invalid because they wrote “Nakawa West” instead of the official “Nakawa Division West,” hoping this technicality would leave him running unopposed.
Justice Collins Acelam shut that nonsense down immediately. He ruled that everyone knows the two names refer to the same place and called the mistake a simple clerical error. The judge emphasized that courts care about actual justice rather than petty procedural gotchas, noting that the Electoral Commission holds the legal power to fix such minor slip-ups without cancelling entire candidacies.
The ruling pointed out a hilarious detail where Bwowe himself was listed under “Nakawa West” on the forms, yet never complained about that specific anomaly until it suited his agenda. Since all the supporting documents listed the correct division name, the court decided no voters would actually get confused.
This decision ends a tense wait for Ssenyonyi and the rivals after the ruling got pushed back. The judge ordered everyone to cover their personal legal bills, meaning the race continues with a full ballot instead of handing Bwowe a free victory.
Justice Collins Acelam shut that nonsense down immediately. He ruled that everyone knows the two names refer to the same place and called the mistake a simple clerical error. The judge emphasized that courts care about actual justice rather than petty procedural gotchas, noting that the Electoral Commission holds the legal power to fix such minor slip-ups without cancelling entire candidacies.
The ruling pointed out a hilarious detail where Bwowe himself was listed under “Nakawa West” on the forms, yet never complained about that specific anomaly until it suited his agenda. Since all the supporting documents listed the correct division name, the court decided no voters would actually get confused.
This decision ends a tense wait for Ssenyonyi and the rivals after the ruling got pushed back. The judge ordered everyone to cover their personal legal bills, meaning the race continues with a full ballot instead of handing Bwowe a free victory.
