YOUTH MP POLLS: How Aspirant Amended Age In Strategy For October Polls

By Francis Otucu

George Abudul, a Northern Youth Member of Parliament (MP) hopeful, has come under scrutiny, after he amended his age to further his political interests.

Our investigations desk has landed on two documents revealing Abudul’s bith dates – October 6, 1986 and October 6, 1991. The 33-year old aspirant was 29 years in 2016 and 29 years in 2020.

Abudul first presented his official documents for nomination before the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Electoral Commission in the run up to 2016 general elections. 

At the time, he wanted a party flag in the Youth MP – Northern. His official documents then showed he was born in 1986 (29 at the time). He lost party primaries to Oscar Omony. However, he went on to contest as an Independent candidate, where he presented the same documents before the Electoral Commission for nomination.

However, five years later, Abudul is ‘still 29’ because the second set of documents he presented to NRM EC boss Dr. Tanga Odoi on August 10, 2020 for nomination ahead of Special Interest Group (SIG) primaries show that he was born in 1991.

Accessible information show that Abudul sat for Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) and Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) in 2005 and 2008 from Amach Complex Secondary School and Dr. Obote College Boroboro, respectively.

His academic papers show he was 19 in 2005 and 22 in 2008, after repeating a class in A’ level. Against such information, Abudul would be 33 years today. 

Interestingly, his transcript for a Diploma in Business Studies from Makerere University Business School (MUBS) in 2011 indicates October 6, 1986 as his date of birth.

Five years younger in 2018!

Well-placed sources at the National Identification Registration Authority (NIRA) have confided in us that Abudul caused a change to his date of birth, ostensibly to strategize for 2021 polls.

The changes from October 6, 1986 to October 6, 1991, the sources said, were carried out in 2018.

“He swore an affidavit to that effect,” the source told The Second Opinion, adding: “This meant that Abudul’s age went down by 5 years.”

On June 2, 2014, Abudul picked his National Identity Card (the NIN is protected for professional reasons), and it (card) shows he was born in 1986.

Tabling disparate papers

However, even the papers tabled by Abudul before the NRM EC and the Independent Electoral Commission in 2016 and those tabled before NRM EC in 2020 are dissimilar, with the age not corresponding.

Analysts say considering all his legal documents, Abudul was not born in 1991; and that he enrolled for Primary One aged just three years.

Lawyers give expert opinion

Under the Parliamentary Elections Act (Special Interest Groups) Regulations 2001, only a person 30 years and below is eligible to be nominated and elected as a Youth Member of Parliament. 

“It would also not tally with all his academic documents and his 2016 nomination form, where he submitted documentation stating he was 29 years old, 4 years ago,” lawyers from ABNO Advocates, a high-end law firm in Kampala, opine.

“All the above are grounds for nullification of an election, and the above evidence is in the public domain. This would cause unnecessary embarrassment to the NRM, and would also cause a by-election in the event of the candidate being allowed on the ballot,” the ABNO lawyers further argue.

“Recently, Justice Steven Kavuma swore an affidavit stating that whereas his official documents had indicated his date of birth as September 1947, he had since amended that date to September 1948, so as to remain in service for an extra year. The Public Service Commission (PSC) rejected this affidavit. In rejecting this amended age, it relied on his previous documents e.g his passport and his Certificate of Eligibility for admission as an Advocate of the High Court, among others, which had his original date of birth,” the lawyers contend.

For over a week now, after briefing NIRA spokesman (after his request so as to follow the matter up), Gilbert Kadilo is yet to respond to our repeated calls or WhatsApp messages.