The National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine has asked his supporters not to be excited by the High Court Judgment which ruled in their favour over the party’s legality.
He said the ruling is a sign that anything can happen in their favour even when the hostile regime is power.
The presidential hopeful’s statements follow the move by High Court in Kampala to dismiss with costs a case in which former members of the National Unity and Reconciliation and Development Party (NURP) moved to repossess the party which was renamed National Unity Platform (NUP).
A few months ago, Moses Nkonge Kibalama, who was heading NURP officially handed over the party to Bobi Wine as the party president, However, Bobi Wine’s leadership of the party came under scrutiny when two of its founders; Difas Basile and Hassan Twala, petitioned the High Court in Kampala.
The two claimed that Kibalama, the founding president of the party, changed its name and transferred its leadership to Bobi Wine without their knowledge and consent.
The High Court Judge who has been on this case Justice Musa Ssekaana, today on Wednesday gave his ruling by email dismissing the case “The judicial review guidelines or rules equally provide for locus standi and this would have been the threshold before the applicants would seek to challenge actions of the party. It is an abuse of court process. This application is dismissed with costs to the respondents. So I order.”
In the press conference held at the NUP headquarters in Kamwokya following the ruling, Bobi Wine said that their win, in this case, is the first stepping stone to show those who have been doubting that anything can happen in their favour despite the threats, arrests and other attacks the security agents have carried on the opposition.
“I want to thank God for this historical judgement, however, we must be reminded that this was indeed a bogus case, we told the world before that this was a bogus case but we are very grateful that the judge has also shown it. To fellow Ugandans out there continue believing in truth because the truth we stand for, at the end of the day it shall prevail.
“We know that we live in the country where institutions have less died but again we are glad to know that even in the rotten institution, there are still those Ugandans that will stand for values and we applaud them, however, this does not mean that Uganda is as democratic as it should be!! But this judgment under such circumstances should communicate to you that a declaration under our favour is possible and indeed will be archived,” said Bobi Wine.
Bobi Wine further said that the state had an interest in this case purposely to cause fear in NUP candidates and possibly many NUP leaning candidates were nominated as independents due to fear that their party may be quashed.
“This case was brought to disorganize us and in my opinion, our detractors in many ways archived that intention because we lost more than 50 candidates who were not sure of whether or not the legality of NUP will be upheld. This was the intention of the state through security agencies to put doubt about us as NUP and to make sure that NUP gets less number of candidates nominated. However, I want to salute the comrades that had faith in us. You comrades took the first step and I’m sure we shall take the last step together. Now without any doubt, we are the National Unity Platform,” he said.
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