NUP Rejects Presidential Results, Urges Aggrieved Candidates to Go to Court

The National Unity Platform (NUP) leadership has advised party members who lost in elections and are dissatisfied with the results to seek redress in court so that their grievances can be formally recorded, even as the party outrightly rejected the 2026 presidential election results.

Speaking at a press briefing at the party headquarters in Makerere-Kavule, NUP Secretary-General David Lewis Rubongoya said that although the party does not have full confidence in the courts, candidates who believe they were unfairly denied victory should still file cases to ensure their complaints are officially documented.

“Even where we do not fully trust the system, it is important that those who feel robbed of their victory go to court, at least to have their grievances formally recorded,” Rubongoya said.

In the same briefing, Rubongoya announced that NUP rejects the presidential election results announced by Electoral Commission Chairperson Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama on January 17, 2026. He described the results as baseless, arguing that they were declared without the mandatory declaration forms to support the figures announced.

According to Rubongoya, the absence of declaration forms undermines the credibility and transparency of the entire electoral process, making it impossible to verify the results announced by the Electoral Commission.

“The results announced lack a legal and factual basis because they were not backed by declaration forms as required by law,” he said, adding that NUP cannot accept figures that cannot be independently verified.

Rubongoya also addressed growing concerns about the safety of the party leadership, assuring supporters that the NUP president is safe and will address the nation at an appropriate time. He urged party members and supporters to remain calm as the leadership studies the election process and determines the next course of action.

The statements come amid heightened political tension following the January 15 polls, with opposition parties questioning the credibility of the electoral process and alleging widespread irregularities, including lack of transparency in tallying and declaration of results.

NUP maintains that while legal avenues may not immediately deliver justice, documenting electoral grievances through courts and public records remains a critical step in challenging what it describes as a deeply flawed electoral process.