National Unity Platform (NUP) president Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has accused the Electoral Commission (EC) of acting with bias and impunity following the disqualification of the party’s candidate for Buyanja County, Ategeka Christopher.
Bobi Wine made the remarks on Tuesday while addressing supporters during NUP rallies in Kiringente Sub-county, Mpigi District, where he had earlier kicked off the party’s campaign activities.
“Just arrived at Katende playground in Kiringente Sub County, Mpigi District for our first rally of the day,” Bobi Wine posted on social media, later adding, “Our first rally at St. John Bosco Primary School playground in Kiringente has been concluded. We are now heading to the second rally venue!”
However, the campaign momentum was overshadowed by news that the EC, chaired by Justice Simon Byabakama Mugenyi, had nullified Ategeka’s nomination to contest against Finance Minister Matia Kasaija, a long-serving National Resistance Movement (NRM) heavyweight.
In a strongly worded statement, Bobi Wine claimed the disqualification followed alleged attempts to bribe the candidate to step down. “BYABAKAMA has, once again, denominated the NUP candidate for Buyanja County, Ategeka Christopher, after they brought him numerous offers — up to 300 million shillings cash — to step down for the minister and he refused,” Bobi Wine said. “‘You have refused the money, but the money will work on you,’ they told him.”
According to the official EC decision dated December 4, 2025, Ategeka was disqualified after a complaint was filed alleging irregularities in his nomination forms. The petitioner argued that three of his supporters were not registered voters in Buyanja County and that their names were later replaced without fresh signatures.
The Commission ruled that although the names, villages, and National Identification Numbers were altered, the signatures remained unchanged, concluding that the nomination did not meet the legal requirements under the Parliamentary Elections Act.
But Bobi Wine rejected the ruling, insisting the process was unfair. “When they invited him for a hearing, Ategeka went with the three people they claimed didn’t sign for him. The three confirmed having signed his nomination forms and even drew similar signatures in the presence of Byabakama,” he said. “He left the hearing quite sure that there was no logical case against him, only to be shocked by this ruling.”
Calling the decision politically motivated, Bobi Wine urged supporters to turn their frustration into action. “Instead of just getting frustrated with Byabakama’s criminal actions, let this impunity fuel righteous anger in all of us to bring about democracy in Uganda at all costs,” he said. “We can restore sanity in only 19 days.”
Ategeka Christopher has not yet issued a public statement, while the Electoral Commission maintains that its decision was based strictly on the law.
The development adds to growing tensions between the opposition and the EC as the country heads into a highly contested election period, with NUP leaders repeatedly accusing state institutions of working to block strong opposition challengers.
