Why Bobi Wine, Amuriat may not be nominated

As the presidential aspirants gear up ahead of the nomination exercise, there is growing fear that some of them may miss out being nominated due to their strategy of defiance.Presidential nominations are slated to take place on November 2 and 3 at Kyambogo University sports grounds.Some of the candidates have said they will defy the instructions issued by the EC one of which requires them to produce a Covid-19 test certificate indicating that they are negative.These are; Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine of the National Unity Platform (NUP) and the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC’s), Patrick Oboi Amuriat among others.During the release of election dates for local governments and parliamentary seats, the EC stayed the ban on processions and public/mass rallies to curb the spread of Covid-19.The EC also told aspirants that meetings with only 70 people will be allowed to held as one of the measures to prevent this deadly virus.The Electoral Commission last week met 10 presidential aspirants who have so far been cleared for nomination to provide them with a checklist of requirements expected from them.According to some of the representatives of the presidential aspirants, the meeting failed to agree on the 70 people that are required to attend campaign meetings.Both Kyagulanyi and Amuriat have repeatedly vowed to hold processions to their nomination ceremony contrary to the guidelines issued by EC.Amuriat said much as the EC directed all presidential candidates to take only 10 people to the nomination venue, he will take all the party supporters who would wish to escort him.“EC has issued a number of restrictions during the forthcoming elections. They have instructed us to take only 10 people to Kyambogo for our nominations. I want to inform EC that we shall not conduct our campaigns in their way. We shall go with all our people to Kyambogo and all those planning to block us should be prepared because we are known for defiance,”Amuriat said.Kyagulanyi, too, has been rallying his supporters to join him on his nomination day, November 3, an act which violates the EC guidelines.The government spokesperson, Ofwono Opondo said on Saturday that defiant presidential candidates risk missing out on the nomination by engaging into running battles with police for failure to observe these guidelines.Police also warned that it will not hesitate to disperse any form of processions and rallies by presidential aspirants ahead of their nomination this week.“We continue to obtain intelligence on arrangements by a few political actors, to hold unauthorised processions, rallies and assemblies. We have taken note of their adverts and publicity drives declaring such intentions,” Fred Enanga,the police spokesperson, said in a statement released on Friday.Enanga reiterated that police will not in anyway tolerate acts of defiance by some presidential aspirants adding that they will disrupt any form of assembly or processions.