Museveni already has 4.8 million votes secured ahead of 2026 - Tanga
President Museveni. PHOTO/ FILE/ PPU
What you need to know:
- President Museveni was declared winner of the 2021 violence-marred polls with 5,851,037 votes representing 58.64 per cent of the 9,978,093 valid votes cast.
- The Opposition described the presidential polls as sham with several of their supporters rounded up during and after the polls amid internet blackout.
The chairperson of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) electoral commission, Dr Tanga Odoi has claimed that the party flag bearer for the presidency in the 2026 will have a head start of 4.8 million votes from party leaders.
Speaking to this publication on Thursday, Mr Odoi said this is one of the strategies by Mr Museveni who has ruled Uganda since 1986 when he shot his way to State House through a guerrilla warfare retain, power in 2026.
Should Ugandans start preparing for life after Mr Museveni?
“At the end of our structure elections we vote in 2.5million from the village, up to the national level. Then we add the flag bearers of Members of Parliament, LCIII, mayors and LCIV, LCV, flag bearer of leaders in CEC and ultimately the total number is 4,800,064 leaders. That alone means the NRM presidential flag bearer has 4.8 million votes,” Dr Odoi said.
In 2021, Dr Odoi said Mr Museveni would be the party flag bearer. Different groupings in the party have also been fronting Mr Museveni, 79, to carry the party flag in 2026.
This however, according to party workings will be subject to an internal election.
The NRM has also released a tentative roadmap for the elections of party structures from village to district level.
The chairperson of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) electoral commission, Dr Tanga Odoi
Dr Tanga said the programme will be rolled out with registration of NRM members at the village levels, an exercise that will happen between November 2023 and February 29, 2024.
“I want to call upon the NRM fraternity to get ready and participate in any election we shall announce because we have to retain power. We are not about to give them (opposition) power because they are divided. We are on course as NRM,” Mr Odoi said in an interview.
President Museveni was declared winner of the 2021 violence-marred polls with 5,851,037 votes representing 58.64 per cent of the 9,978,093 valid votes cast.
The Opposition described the presidential polls as sham with several of their supporters rounded up during and after the polls amid internet blackout.
Mr Museveni’s closest contender in the 2021 election, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi of the National Unity Platform (NUP) has accused him (Museveni) of using brutality and voter bribery to prolong his hold onto power.
