NATIONAL | TOP STORY
NUP Presidential Flagbearer Cleared by Electoral Commission, Becomes Fourth Candidate in 2026 Race
KAMPALA — The National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential flagbearer has officially been cleared by the Electoral Commission (EC), becoming the fourth candidate to receive a nomination certificate ahead of the 2026 general elections.
This announcement was made on Monday, September 22, 2025, by NUP Secretary General David Rubongoya, shortly after collecting the nomination clearance certificate from the EC headquarters in Kampala.
With this clearance, NUP’s candidate now joins President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), Nathan Nandala Mafabi of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), and independent candidate Joseph Male Mabirizi on the presidential ballot.
The clearance comes just days after the EC initially declined to approve NUP’s nomination papers on Friday, September 19, citing incomplete endorsement signatures from 38 districts. The Commission noted that many of the signatures were disqualified due to duplicate endorsements across multiple candidates.
In response, NUP issued an urgent call to supporters in the affected districts, urging them to travel to Kampala on Saturday, September 20, to re-submit their signatures. The mobilization effort appears to have paid off.
Waving the nomination certificate, an elated Rubongoya confirmed that the EC had accepted the party’s updated list of verified signatures from across the country, meeting the required threshold.
Additionally, Rubongoya announced a change in the nomination date for NUP’s presidential candidate, moving it from Tuesday, September 23 to Wednesday, September 24, 2025, at 2:00 PM.
“We have received communication from the EC Chairperson informing us that our candidate will now be nominated on Wednesday at 2:00 PM,” Rubongoya stated, adding that the change appears to be aimed at preventing NUP from holding two campaign rallies initially planned around the earlier date.
The development marks a critical milestone for NUP as the 2026 presidential race gains momentum.
