Former Laroo-Pece Division parliamentary candidate Tony Kitara has denied allegations that he is being used by speaker of parliament Anita Annet Among to wage political battles against minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Norbert Mao. In the January 15 general elections, Mao won the Laroo-Pece Division seat with 7,359 votes, defeating independent candidate and incumbent legislator Fr Charles Onen, who polled 5,562 votes. Kitara, who contested on the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) ticket, finished third with 2,867 votes. Last week, he filed an election petition at the High Court in Gulu through his lawyer Caleb Alaka, seeking to nullify the results, citing alleged irregularities. In the petition, Kitara accuses Mao of violating the Electoral Commission’s harmonised campaign programme by campaigning in restricted areas, including Lawiyeadul Ward, which he claims disrupted his campaign. He also alleges voter bribery, citing an incident in which Shs 150,000 was allegedly given to a women’s savings group leader at Gulu Town primary school. Reacting in a post on X, Mao suggested that Kitara was being used by political actors he described as his adversaries, including Among, whom he has previously indicated interest in challenging for the speakership. “I don’t fight dogs, I fight their owners. Full stop,” Mao wrote. Kitara described the remark as “disrespectful”, insisting that his decision to challenge the election is purely legal and not driven by personal or political motives. “I have nothing personal. It is purely legal,” Kitara said. “I am not going to court because I am desperate to go to parliament. I am going to court so that certain issues are put on record.” Kitara further alleges that an Electoral Commission official attended one of Mao’s rallies and issued a voter identification slip during the event, raising questions about the neutrality of the electoral body. He also accuses Mao of campaigning beyond legally stipulated hours and participating in activities during the restricted period before polling day, including appearances on radio talk shows. “These are issues that the court must pronounce itself on. If such actions are lawful, then future candidates will follow the same path. If not, then the court should nullify the election,” he said. Meanwhile, Bishop Godfrey Loum of Northern Uganda Diocese last week urged defeated candidates in the Acholi sub-region to pursue mediation instead of lengthy court battles, warning that election petitions can consume time, drain resources and deepen community divisions. Mao and the Electoral Commission, both named in the petition, had not yet filed their responses by press time.The post Kitara denies being used by speaker Among against minister Mao appeared first on The Observer.