The Electoral Commission (EC) has officially verified the supporters’ forms of Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) leader, Nandala Mafabi James Nathan, clearing a key hurdle in his quest to contest the 2026 presidential election.
A certificate issued by the EC and signed by Chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama confirms that Mafabi submitted the required lists of supporters and met the legal threshold for nomination.
According to the Presidential Elections Act, aspiring candidates must present at least 100 verified supporters from each of at least two-thirds of Uganda’s districts.
The certificate, titled “Certificate of Verification of Supporters Forms for Aspiring Presidential Candidates, 2026,” affirms that Mafabi has complied with Section 10(1)(b) and 10(3) of the law, paving the way for his formal nomination when the process opens.
By Monday afternoon, Mafabi and incumbent President Yoweri Museveni were the only candidates whose supporters’ lists had been cleared by the EC ahead of the official nomination exercise scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday.
Mafabi, a long-serving opposition figure and current Budadiri West MP, now becomes one of the first prominent aspirants to publicly secure this critical endorsement ahead of the highly anticipated 2026 polls.
His clearance strengthens the FDC’s position as it prepares to challenge Museveni’s ruling NRM party and other contenders in a race already shaping up as one of Uganda’s most competitive in years.
Nomination for presidential contestants are scheduled for tomorrow Tuesday and Wednesday setting the stage for a two-day exercise that will officially kick off the 2026 presidential campaign season.