15 presidential candidates protest 'selective verification' of signatures, one withdraws

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Over 15 independent presidential aspirants have protested what they describe as selective verification of nomination signatures by the Electoral Commission (EC), claiming it has denied them the chance to contest in the 2026 General Election.

The group, led by former presidential aspirant John Katumba, said they submitted all the required endorsements but have not been cleared, leaving them stranded.

They allege the commission is favouring candidates from political parties, citing examples of National Unity Platform (Kyagulanyi Ssentamu aka Bobi Wine) and Alliance for National Transformation (Mugisha Muntu) candidates who submitted additional signatures later but were still cleared.

The aspirants are now urging the EC to extend the nomination exercise to accommodate all independent contenders.



By Press time, the Electoral Commission has already nominated eight candidates to stand for the highest office in the land.

The candidates include incumbent President Yoweri Museveni, Nandala Mafabi of FDC, Bobi Wine, Muntu and Mubarak Munyagwa.

Presidential aspirant Atwijuka withdraws

Relatedly, independent presidential aspirant Stuart Atwijuka says he has withdrawn from the 2026 presidential race, citing delays in the verification of his supporter signatures by the Electoral Commission (EC).

Atwijuka stated that, as of yesterday (September 23, 2025), the commission had not confirmed his eligibility for nomination, leaving him insufficient time to adequately prepare for the exercise at Lweza, which closes soon.

Despite expressing disappointment with the process, Atwijuka said he intends to focus on the 2031 elections, as the presidency remains the only position he is interested in contesting.