Kampala, Uganda | URN | The National Unity Platform (NUP) party has declined an invitation to the swearing-in ceremony of Yoweri Museveni, as President of Uganda for yet another term. The event is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, May 12th 2021.
The Minister for the Presidency Esther Mbayo on Tuesday 4th, May 2021 told journalists in Kampala that an invitation to incumbent President Yoweri Museveni’s swearing-in ceremony had been extended to Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine, the main challenger in the January 2021 presidential election, to attend the function at Kololo ceremonial grounds.
But NUP spokesperson Joel Sennyonyi says Bobi Wine and NUP cannot attend the ceremony because by doing so, they will be endorsing a victory that was stolen from their hands. The NUP has previously dismissed the official results that were released by the Electoral Commission indicating that Museveni won the presidency with 5.85 million votes (58.64 per cent) against Bobi Wine’s 3.48 million votes (34.83 per cent) of the total votes cast.
According to NUP, Mr Kyagulanyi won the race with 54 per cent of the total valid votes cast, and to them, he is the legitimately elected President of the Republic of Uganda. Mr Ssenyonyi adds that, Mr Museveni, a candidate for the National Resistance Movement-NRM rigged the election and participated in enormous violations of human and peoples rights which the NUP detests.
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Mr Kyagulanyi also told a team of councilors from different parts of the country on Wednesday 5, May 2021 at the party offices in Kamwokya that the struggle to oust Mr Museveni from power shall not end even after the administration of oath. He made reference to leaders like Hosni Mubarak of Egypt who were pushed out of power even after taking oath.
Mr Kyagulanyi reminded the councilors-elect of their duty to serve the nation, never to disappoint their voters and to also disprove those who despised NUP calling them candidates for failure in service. He added that the win delivered to them should be used as a stepping stone to liberate the country from bad governance, corruption and dictatorship.
The councilors in attendance reiterated that Mr Kyagulanyi is the legitimate president meant to be sworn in. NUP supporters coined a slogan “Tajja kulayira” meaning that Mr Museveni won’t be sworn in. NUP spokesperson says although the leadership of the party didn’t coin the slogan, it is a good expression from the public and an indicator of their will to fight for Bobi Wine’s win.
