Kibaale, Uganda: The Electoral Commission (EC) has yet again de-nominated another National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate, this time Ategeka Christopher from the Buyanja County parliamentary race, escalating tensions between the opposition and the electoral body just days to the 2026 General Elections.
The decision, communicated in a formal ruling dated December 4, 2025, was signed by EC Chairperson Simon Byabakama Mugenyi, following a complaint lodged under Article 61(1)(f) of the Constitution and Section 15 of the Electoral Commission Act.
According to Byabakama, Ategeka failed to comply with Section 28(1)(c) of the Parliamentary Elections Act, after irregularities were found in his nomination papers, including the whitening and substitution of supporters’ names, villages and National Identification Numbers (NINs).
He further ruled that Ategeka originally submitted names of supporters who were not registered voters in Buyanja County, and upon being advised to substitute them, whitened the original entries while retaining the signatures, a move the Commission said rendered the nomination invalid.
“The Commission was not satisfied that the original supporters appended their signatures against the substituted names,” the ruling reads in part.
As a result, the Commission, under MIN.COMP/058/2025, voided Ategeka’s nomination under Section 30(a) of the Parliamentary Elections Act, effectively knocking him out of the race.
Bobi Wine Cries Foul
Reacting to the decision, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, accused the EC of acting under political pressure to eliminate strong NUP challengers.
In a post on his official X account, Kyagulanyi said Ategeka had been offered up to UGX 300 million to step down for Matia Kasaija, the incumbent and NRM heavyweight in Buyanja County.
“They brought him numerous offers, up to 300 million shillings cash, to step down for the minister, and he refused,” Kyagulanyi wrote. “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.”
Kyagulanyi said Ategeka left the EC hearing confident that there was no case against him, only to later receive the de-nomination ruling. “Ategeka, who has shaken the ground in Buyanja, is very shocked to receive this ruling,” he added, describing the decision as part of what he termed a pattern of “criminal impunity”.
Ategeka’s removal significantly alters the political landscape in Buyanja County, where he had emerged as a formidable challenger to Finance Minister Matia Kasaija, one of the ruling NRM’s most senior figures.
The latest de-nomination comes amid a string of similar EC decisions affecting NUP candidates across the country, fuelling claims of selective enforcement and shrinking political space as polling day approaches.
While the EC maintains that its decisions are strictly based on the law, opposition leaders argue that the rulings undermine public confidence in the electoral process. With less than three weeks to polling day, the standoff between the opposition and the electoral body appears set to intensify.
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