National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has accused the Electoral Commission (EC) of deliberately frustrating his 2026 presidential bid by rejecting thousands of signatures submitted to back his nomination.
In a strongly worded statement on Sunday, Kyagulanyi alleged that the EC is “acting in the most partisan manner,” claiming that despite submitting “more than enough signatures per district,” the Commission is now indicating that he has not met the minimum requirement in 36 districts.
“The same Commission is indicating that Museveni submitted more than enough signatures,” Kyagulanyi charged, describing the process as “shameless.”
The NUP president further alleged that government security operatives—including GISOs, DISOs and Resident District Commissioners (RDCs)—have been intimidating citizens who endorsed his candidacy. “They have been reaching out to all those who signed for us, threatening them. Then the EC says it called them and they denied having signed for us and therefore removed them from the list. Criminals!” he said.
Kyagulanyi has now called on registered voters in the affected districts to turn up at the NUP headquarters in Makerere-Kavule on Monday between 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. to re-sign the endorsement forms ahead of his scheduled nomination on Tuesday, September 23, 2025.
The districts where signatures are reportedly lacking include: Alebtong, Amuru, Bukwo, Bushenyi, Dokolo, Gulu City, Gomba, Iganga, Kakumiro, Kamwenge, Moyo, Nakapiripirit, Ntungamo, Pader, Rubanda, Rubirizi, Rwampara, Shema, Sironko, Soroti District, Soroti City, Terego, Yumbe, Arua, Agago, Amolatar, Kanungu, Kapchorwa, Kitagwenda, Koboko, Kumi, Lamwo, Lira, Mbarara, Omoro and Pallisa.
The EC has not yet publicly responded to the latest allegations, but officials have in the past defended the verification exercise as a legal requirement to ensure authenticity of nomination signatures.
Uganda’s electoral law requires presidential aspirants to collect at least 100 verified signatures from at least two-thirds of the country’s districts to qualify for nomination. With only two days to the deadline, the standoff sets the stage for a tense start to the 2026 general election season.