By Jumah Kakomo
The opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party on Friday delivered signatures from supporters across the country to the offices of the independent electoral commission (IEC) endorsing the nomination of James Nathan Nandala Mafabi to contest for presidency of Uganda in the forthcoming general elections.
FDC’s delegation was led by both the party vice chairman and electoral commission, Robert centenary and Boniface Toterebuka Bamwenda respectively. Recently, the party president and former presidential flag bearer Patrick Oboi Amuriat reaffirmed that the party will give full support to James Nathan Nandala Mafabi as its presidential flag bearer for the 2026 general elections, he made the revelation at party headquarters Najjanankumbi Kampala during the flagging off a caravan to James Nathan Nandala Mafabi’s home land area Mbale to receive what the party termed as blessings from the residents ahead of campaigns
Despite Amuriat had initially stood against Mafabi, but he later stepped down and endorsed him as the party’s presidential flag bearer following the party’s elders forum meeting held at its headquarters a decision which was seen by party members as a strategic move to strengthen the party ahead of the heated presidential race and to mount a serious challenge against the ruling NRM party and its candidate Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
The party vice chairman Robert Centenary says, they submitted all the required signatures from the districts of Uganda including those from official flag bearers of the party
“We know that the law requires us to submit only a hundred, but we have gone far and above, we have submitted over a million signatures,” Centenary said.
However, Centenary expressed dismay over the rejection of the party’s nominees by the independent electoral commission during local government/council elections due to various technicalities with some associated to NIN numbers issued by the government which he says is ridiculous to the party. According to Centenary, the IEC needs to synchronize its system with other agencies of the government.
The party electoral commission Chairman Boniface Toterebuka Bamwenda disclosed that they have confidence in Mafabi’s ability to lead the party to victory reaffirming that, Mafabi went through all the necessary processes to secure the party’s flag for the 2026 general elections
