A fresh dispute has erupted over the presidential nomination process after National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi, known as Bobi Wine, accused Ugandan authorities of tampering with his endorsement signatures.
Bobi Wine claimed on Saturday that the Electoral Commission (EC) had unfairly rejected his nomination papers by disqualifying signatures from several districts.
According to him, local security officials, including GISOs, DISOs, and Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), allegedly intimidated citizens who had endorsed his candidacy. He said some supporters were threatened into retracting their names, leading the EC to disqualify them and reduce his tally of valid endorsements.
“The Electoral Commission shamelessly says Museveni submitted more than enough signatures, while ours are dismissed,” Bobi Wine posted on X. “Criminals!”
Presidential aide Faruk Kirunda swiftly responded, dismissing the allegations as unsubstantiated unless backed with evidence.
He urged NUP and the affected voters to publicly identify the officers involved and produce proof of harassment.
“Can the affected voters or the party expose the errant officers with audio or video evidence so that due action is taken on them?” Kirunda posted. “This should be easy in a hi-tech era.”
The row adds to the rising tension around the 2026 election, where President Yoweri Museveni is expected to seek re-election after nearly four decades in power.
Bobi Wine, his strongest challenger in the 2021 polls, is again positioning himself as the opposition’s main candidate.
The EC has not issued an official response to the latest accusations, but observers note that disputes over nomination requirements have long been a flashpoint in Uganda’s electoral politics.
With both sides trading blame, the standoff over signatures is likely to deepen mistrust ahead of the campaign season.