The Ugandan ruling party, the National Resistance Movement has backed President Yoweri Museveni to seek re-election in 2021.
The backing from the party means the 74 year old leader could run for a sixth term as President.
The ruling party’s spokesman Rogers Mulindwa revealed after a five-day committee meeting on Monday that “Museveni will be our presidential candidate. He is very popular.”
The party’s members are now expected to formally confirm the decision of the executive committee in the coming days.
Should Museveni contest the presidential election in 2021, he could potentially extend his tenure to 40 years.
In July last year, a top court in Uganda ruled clearing the way for President Museveni to seek a sixth term in office.
There was public outcry after the country’s parliament passed a resolution removing the presidential age limit.
The resolution removed the age limit of 75 years placed on presidential aspirants in Uganda. Museveni would have been disqualified from running in 2021 had the age limit remained.
Critics of the president, many of whom were from the opposition agitated over the scrapping of the presidential age limit.
But after a marathon session of hearing, the constitutional court judges, ruled in favour of lifting the age limit for presidential contenders.
President Museveni has been in power since 1986 after a five-year guerrilla war. He one of Africa’s longest-ruling leaders.
Source: Africafeeds.com
