In a very surprising act that has the whole country talking, the leader of the opposition Robert Kyagulanyi, who is better known as Bobi Wine, has outright rejected the election results that the Electoral Commission (EC) is announcing.
The National Unity Platform (NUP) leader, in a very strong statement that he released through social media—the country was going through a total internet blackout—called the figures “nonsense” and “fake” and totally accused the EC of not being transparent with the figures at all.
The Tally Center Standoff
Bobi Wine is saying that there is a very big and important confrontation taking place at the national tally center. Opposition agents are said to be asking for the reason behind the increase in numbers for the ruling President Yoweri Museveni but at the same time, they are saying that they are facing a wall of silence.
“IGNORE the fake results being announced by Byabakama. He can’t tell anybody where those results are coming from. Our agents at the tally centre are asking him for the source of these results, and the regime enabler can’t say a thing.” — Bobi Wine
Main Accusations from NUP Camp:
“Ghost” Data: The accusation is against the EC leader Simon Byabakama, who declares numbers that are different from those on the Declaration of Results (DR) forms at the respective polling stations.
Silence Under Fire: The charging that the EC has not been able to verify the current results even though the questioning has been so direct coming from agents.
Agent Harassment: The NUP is reporting that their supervisors that are in the tallying area are being either sidelined or intimidated.
A Tense Ultimatum
The part of the declaration that sends shivers down the spine is when Wine concludes and instead of the courts, he turns to the people. The contention of “The PEOPLE OF UGANDA will have the final say” coming from the leader of the opposition has implied a possible transition from a court case to a mass civil disobedience movement.
Analysts point out that this type of speech is similar to the highly charged atmosphere of the 2021 elections, however, with the 2026 elections having even larger stakes the possibility of unrest spreading across Kampala is also higher.
The Current Position
On the evening of Friday the 16th of January, the Electoral Commission of Uganda released provisional results showing:
Yoweri Museveni: Luxuriating with nearly 75% of the counted votes.
Bobi Wine: Lagging behind with about 21%.
The EC has not formally countered Wine’s particular assertions of “fake results” and is only saying that the process is in accordance with the constitution.
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