Uganda: Bobi Wine challenges election results in court
Ugandan opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine on Monday filed a legal challenge in the country’s Supreme Court over results of the presidential election in January.
His party’s lawyer said Wine was seeking cancellation of the results that handed victory to incumbent Yoweri Museveni.
This comes after a siege at his residence by soldiers ended last week following a court order.
Museveni, who has led the East African country since 1986, was declared winner of the January 14 election, with 59 per cent of the votes, while Wine was given 35 per cent.
“We want the poll cancelled and repeated,” said George Musisi, lawyer for Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP).
Wine, 38, a pop star-turned lawmaker, rejected the results and said he believed his victory was stolen.
Mr Musisi said Wine was asking the court to overturn the results on multiple grounds including widespread use of violence.
“There was outright ballot-stuffing, there was intimidation of NUP agents and supporters, some were arrested on the eve of the election, there was pre-ticking of ballots,” he said.
Wine exploited his youthful energy and a widespread Ugandan love of music to build up large followership among young people and present a formidable challenge to Museveni.