NRM
KAMPALA. The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) claims it has submitted more than two million signatures to the Electoral Commission(EC) to support of President Museveni’s nomination as the party’s presidential flag bearer in next year’s General Elections.
Museveni 81, who has been in power since January 1981 is seeking to extend his rule beyond 40 years .
The signatures were formally handed over to EC on Friday by NRM Secretary General Richard Todwong, who was accompanied by senior party officials, including NRM Electoral Commission chairperson Tanga Odoi, party treasurer Barbara Nekesa, and Director of Mobilization Rosemary Sseninde.
Speaking after submitting the signatures , Todwong declared that the signatures signified not only compliance with the law but also guaranteed votes already secured for the ruling party.
“We needed 100 signatures from at least two-thirds of Uganda’s districts, but I am proud to announce that we have collected signatures from all districts. We have submitted over two million, and this is confirmation of the votes we are going to have,” Todwong said.
He went further, claiming that Museveni’s tally should effectively start at two million votes: During the 2021 General Election , Museveni garnered 6,042898 votes representing 58.38 percent of the vote, while his closet challenger Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu aka Bobi Wine garnered 3,631,437 votes representing 35.08 percent .
“Already, we have deposited our votes with the Electoral Commission. Hopefully, they will begin counting from two million and above.”
Under electoral laws, a presidential aspirant is required to submit at least 100 signatures from at least 98 districts as a prerequisite for nomination.
Todwong’s bold claims are seen as part of a broader strategy by the NRM to project dominance ahead of the September 23–24 nomination dates. Analysts note that this narrative is aimed at strengthening Museveni’s image against his chief rival, National Unity Platform leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, also known as Bobi Wine, who has repeatedly insisted that he won the disputed 2021 election.
This is not the first time Todwong has made sweeping claims about Museveni’s electoral strength. Earlier this year, he stated that the NRM commanded 19.8 million voters—far exceeding the total number of registered voters in the country.
The EC is yet to release the final voters register showing the exact number of registered voters in the country . During the 2021 General Election , a total of 10,744,319 voters participated in the exercise ,but there were reports in the districts of Sembabule and Kayunga that votes exceeded the number of voters registered in the areas .