Uganda: the electoral commission announced the first results

It has been over 24 hours since polls closed and Uganda is still counting votes from its presidential and parliamentary elections.

Preliminary results announced by the electoral commission put President Yoweri Museveni in a commanding lead. His rival, 38-year-old legislator Bobi Wine has dismissed the tally as a ‘joke’.

The electoral commission said on Friday that with 49.1 percent of votes from Thursday’s ballot counted, Museveni had won 3.9 million, or 62.7 percent – while main opposition candidate Wine had 1.4 million votes (29.3 percent), the electoral commission said just after 5 p.m.

The opposition leader, who has been arrested multiple times during the campaigning, earlier said the presidential election was marred by ‘fraud and violence’ without providing any evidence.

Bobi Wine said he would detail election irregularities by the ruling party once the internet was restored. The internet remained down for a third day as vote counting continued.

Read more : Davido supports Bobi wine for the presidential election

An election commission official responded to Bobi Wine’s accusations. “Let him show the country in what manner, in what form the results are rigged.”

Meanwhile, the government dismissed the opposition leader’s allegation and called on him to present evidence of his claims.