Bobi Wine threatens to withdraw poll petition, cites "bias" and "frustration"

Uganda’s musician turned politician Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has threatened to withdraw a poll petition from the country’s Supreme Court citing "bias" and "frustration".

Uganda’s Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected Wine’s additional 120 affidavits claiming the documents were filed late after February 14 deadline.

Bobi Wine later addressed his supporters at his party office in Kampala threatening to withdraw the case if such frustrations persist.

“We have been collecting evidence and more is still coming in but the Supreme Court has rejected 250 affidavits we filed yesterday (February 15) much as hearing of the petition hasn't started. We want to put the Supreme Court on notice that if this persists, we are not going to be part of that mockery, the next step is to take the matter to the public court,” Mr. Kyagulanyi said on Tuesday.

This is the second blow in less than two weeks. Last week, Wine filed a petition to amend the suit. He wanted three of the judges to recuse themselves from the case citing their close ties with President Yoweri Museveni.

Bobi Wine claimed that Chief Justice Owiny-Dollo was President Museveni's lawyer in 2006 while Justice Mike Chibita was Mr. Museveni's private secretary on legal affairs, while Justice Ezekiel Muhanguzi is a relative of Security Minister Elly Tumwine, according to local media.

Meanwhile, Bobi Wine released a list of at least 243 people he claims were abducted by the government.

On Twitter, Wine said his team has hundreds of other names that are still being verified before they can be published.

In a televised speech Saturday, President Yoweri Museveni said that security agencies are responsible for the people reported missing, calling them "terrorists" who were planning anarchy in the country.

He said the missing people were arrested by either the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI), the intelligence wing of the Uganda Peoples' Defense Forces (UPDF), or by the commando units.