Uganda opposition leader Bobi Wine files election challenge in court

KAMPALA (Reuters) - Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine filed a legal challenge in the country’s supreme court on Monday seeking cancellation of the results of last month’s presidential election that handed victory to incumbent Yoweri Museveni, his party’s lawyer said.

The former guerrilla leader, who has led the East African country since 1986, was declared winner of the Jan. 14 vote with 59% of the vote, while Wine was given 35%.

“We want the poll cancelled and repeated,” said George Musisi, lawyer for Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP).

Wine, 38, a pop star and lawmaker, rejected the results and said he believed his victory was stolen. Musisi said Wine was asking the court to overturn the results on multiple grounds including widespread use of violence.

“There was outright ballot-stuffing, there was intimidation of NUP agents and supporters, some were arrested on the eve of the election, there was pre-ticking of ballots,” he said.

Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, exploited his youthful energy and a widespread Ugandan love of music to build up a large following among young people and present a formidable challenge to Museveni.