Accept defeat, Zambia president tells Uganda's opposition

Entebbe.

Zambian president Edgar Chagwa Lungu has asked Ugandan’s opposition members to concede defeat and recognise Mr Yoweri Museveni as the duly elected president following the highly contested February 18 elections.

Mr Museveni, 71, won 60.75 per cent of the vote while his closest challenger Dr Kizza Besigye took 35 per cent, according to the Electoral Commission records. However Dr Besigye who has challenged President Museveni previously rejected the results, asking for an independent audit.

However, after landing at Entebbe International Airport this afternoon, Mr Lungu said the opposition must accept the will of the majority of Ugandans.

“Let the opposition parties accept the will of the people and accept the win of president Museveni because he went through elections and won,” said Mr Lungu.

The 59-year-old Zambian leader who has been president since January 2015, and is in the country to commemorate the swearing-in of President Museveni scheduled for tomorrow, seemed to take a swipe at Dr Kizza Besigye who came second in the February 18 presidential elections.

"If you have a football club, you can't use only one striker who doesn't score. My advice to them [opposition] is to accept the win and also change the striker because he has failed to score for all these years he has been on the football ground," said Mr Lungu.

Dr Besigye has challenged president Museveni for the country’s top job four times although he has never accepted defeat.

Mr Lungu also advised Ugandans to love their president and attend his ceremony as he swears in for his 5th term at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds tomorrow.

Mr Museveni who has been at the helm for 30 years will take oath to extend his rule to 35 years.

Mr Lungu joins Tanzania president John Pombe Magufuli and other foreign dignitaries who are in Uganda for the same function.