Ugandan presidential candidate Bobi Wine on Friday claimed victory in the country’s elections, rejecting as a “joke” early results that gave President Yoweri Museveni a wide lead.
The 38-year-old former ragga singer has been the main rival to the 76-year-old Mr Museveni, who has been in power since 1986 and is seeking a sixth term.
The internet remained down for a third day as vote counting continued, with provisional results from 29 per cent of polling stations giving Mr Museveni an early lead of 63 per cent while Mr Wine trailed with 28 per cent.
“I am very confident that we defeated the dictator by far. I call upon all Ugandans to reject the blackmail. We have certainly won the election and we’ve won it by far,” he told journalists.
“The people of Uganda voted massively for change of leadership from a dictatorship to a democratic government. But Mr. Museveni is trying to paint a picture that he is in the lead. What a joke!” said Mr Wine.
He said the election was marred by “illegal, high-handed actions which Museveni and his regime of blood have undertaken to set the stage for the worst rigging this country has ever witnessed.”
He said he would detail the irregularities once the internet was restored.
Earlier, an election commission official responded to Mr Wine’s accusations of fraud and violence saying: “Let him show the country in what manner, in what form the results are rigged.”
On Friday morning the capital Kampala was quiet and some businesses remained closed, while soldiers and police patrolled on foot the day after the election.
Full results are expected by Saturday afternoon local time.
Mr Museveni is facing a total of 10 candidates, but it is the popularity of the former popstar Wine, who grew up in a slum and is nicknamed the “ghetto president”, that has rattled the former rebel leader.
