Lawyer Male Mabirizi has petitioned the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) requesting it to nullify the recently concluded nomination of presidential candidates asserting that it was defective.
In his suit, Mabirizi points out the different illegalities that marred the entire presidential nomination process. According to Mabirizi, the Electoral Commission (EC) verified and cleared Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and not Yoweri Museveni Tibuhaburwa who was purportedly nominated.
Museveni was among the three presidential candidates who recently took a deed poll were the legally confirmed change of name. Museveni changed his name to Yoweri Tibuhaburwa Kaguta Museveni.
For NUP leader Kyagulanyi Robert Sentamu alias Bobi Wine, Mabirizi claims that he was illegally nominated because he did not present his original birth certificate to prove that he is a Ugandan by birth. He further alleges that Kyagulanyi does not possess the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education or its equivalent in addition to failure to present a Resolution of National Unity Platform Political Party/Organisation’s general assembly electing him as their flag bearer.
Mabirizi also claims that the manner in which FDC Presidential candidate Patrick Amuriat was arrested and later delivered for nomination was inhumanly treatment that offends provisions of the East African Treaty.
On Justice Simon Byabakama Mugenyi presiding over the EC, Mabirizi claims that Byabakama has never resigned his position of a judge before taking over the office of the EC chairman as required under Article 60(5) (d) of the Constitution.
“Whatever Justice Byabakama is doing is illegal because he is illegally in office,” claims Mabirizi.
11 presidential candidates were duly nominated to run for the country’s top office and these include; Museveni, Kyagulanyi, Amuriat, John Katumba, Nancy Linda Kalembe, Henry Tumukunde, Mugisha Muntu, Norbert Mao, Joseph Kabuleta, Fred Mwesigye, and Willy Mayambala.