Bobi Wine, Mugisha Muntu clash with Electoral Commission over nomination signatures
Kampala, Uganda – Tensions are mounting ahead of the 2026 general elections as opposition presidential aspirants accuse the Electoral Commission (EC) of incompetence and bias in the verification of nomination signatures.
On Friday, September 19, the EC formally wrote to Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) presidential aspirant, Mugisha Muntu, and National Unity Platform (NUP) flagbearer, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (Bobi Wine), notifying them that their submitted lists of supporters had not met the legal threshold.
According to the EC, Muntu’s lists covered 98 districts, but only 48 districts met the required minimum of 100 signatures each, leaving 50 districts short. Similarly, Kyagulanyi’s lists, drawn from 130 districts, were verified to have met requirements in 80 districts, but 18 districts fell short.
The EC, chaired by Justice Simon Byabakama, reminded both aspirants that nomination of presidential candidates will close on September 24, 2025, in line with the Presidential Elections Act.
Opposition outcry
The communication sparked an immediate backlash from the opposition.
ANT, in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), acknowledged that verification is part of the nomination process but condemned the EC for what it termed “late communication,” coming just three days to the close of nominations.
“We strongly disagree with the late communication from the EC. We call upon our supporters to stand with us until the logical conclusion of the nomination of our candidate,” the party stated.
Bobi Wine, through his X handle, went further, describing the EC’s move as partisan and intended to frustrate his nomination.
“If we had not exposed the scheme earlier, they were probably planning to inform us officially on Monday, just hours to our nomination on Tuesday. We submitted more than enough signatures, but they are trying to frustrate us,” he posted.
Kyagulanyi accused government officials including GISOs, DISOs, and RDCs of intimidating his supporters, claiming that some were coerced into denying their signatures, leading to their removal from the verified lists.
He called on registered voters from at least 36 districts, including Gulu City, Lira, Ntungamo, Soroti, and Mbarara, to report to NUP headquarters at Makerere-Kavule to re-submit their signatures ahead of his scheduled nomination on September 23, 2025.
Meanwhile, the NUP announced plans to hold two public rallies immediately after Kyagulanyi’s nomination, one at Katwe Grounds and another at Kaala Playground in Nateete. The party warned police against blocking their gatherings, noting that the ruling NRM had already booked Kololo for President Yoweri Museveni’s post-nomination rally.
With less than a week to the deadline, both Muntu and Kyagulanyi are racing against time to bridge the gaps identified by the EC. The controversy has reignited debate about the impartiality of the electoral body and the broader credibility of Uganda’s electoral process.
