Uganda Election: Bobi Wine says his home is ‘under siege’
Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine has said the military has “taken control” of his house after “it jumped over the fence”.
Wine is taking on President Yoweri Museveni who is seeking his sixth term in office.
Bobi Wine tweeted the news just hours after he alleged Thursday’s election was rigged, saying “every legal option is on the table” to challenge the official results.
“The military has jumped over the fence and has now taken control of our home,” he said in a tweet on Friday, adding in another that “None of these military intruders is talking to us. We are in serious trouble. We are under siege.”
We are under siege. The military has jumped over the fence and has now taken control of our home
— BOBI WINE (@HEBobiwine) January 15, 2021
Earlier journalists traveling to Wine’s residence for a press conference were turned back by security forces well before reaching his home. Many reporters were also forced to leave the national election tally center, despite having accreditation.
The electoral commission said earlier on Friday that Museveni, who is seeking a sixth term, led in Thursday’s vote with results in from 29 percent of polling stations.
With 29.4% of ballots counted, Mr Museveni has won 63.9% of the vote compared to Bobi Wine with 28.4%, the electoral commission says.
Earlier, election commission chief Simon Byabakama said the vote had been peaceful, hailing it as a success.
The results were being transmitted to a tallying centre despite the internet not working, he said.
“We’re not using local internet to transmit results. We are using our own system. Don’t worry, the results will come in spite of the fact that internet has been shut down,” he told journalists.
Bobi Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, reacting to the early results said;
“We secured a comfortable victory,” Bobi Wine told reporters in Kampala, the capital. “I am very confident that we defeated the dictator by far,”
“The people of Uganda voted massively for change of leadership from a dictatorship to a democratic government. But Mr. Museveni is trying to paint a picture that he is in the lead. What a joke!” he added.