STATEMENT OF THE TAKE IT BACK MOVEMENT OVER THE ONGOING STATE REPRESSION AND ELECTORAL FRAUD IN UGANDA

STATEMENT OF THE TAKE IT BACK MOVEMENT OVER THE ONGOING STATE REPRESSION AND ELECTORAL FRAUD IN UGANDA

17/01/2026

The Take It Back Movement unequivocally condemns the ongoing militarisation of Uganda’s electoral process and the brazen assault on democracy, fundamental freedoms, and human rights under the guise of an election.

We are gravely alarmed by the chilling account released by Ugandan presidential candidate and opposition leader, Bobi Wine, detailing a violent night raid on his home in Magere by combined forces of the military and police. The cutting off of electricity, disabling of CCTV cameras, aerial surveillance by helicopters, and the effective house arrest of his family are not the actions of a democratic state, but the hallmarks of a rogue regime terrified of the will of its people.

That a presidential candidate is forced into hiding for his life while his family remains under siege exposes the complete collapse of democratic norms in Uganda. The nationwide internet shutdown, the intimidation of communities, and the deliberate spread of fear are calculated strategies to silence citizens and suppress accountability.

We categorically reject the so-called election results being announced by the Ugandan Electoral Commission under conditions of military occupation, ballot stuffing, mass arrests of opposition figures, and the exclusion of lawful polling agents. Results produced through violence, fraud, and coercion have no legitimacy, no credibility, and no moral authority.

The Take It Back Movement strongly condemns the killing of unarmed Ugandan citizens who have sought to peacefully protest this daylight robbery of their collective mandate. The right of the people to protest, to assemble, and to determine their leaders is non-negotiable and cannot be extinguished by bullets, batons, or brute force.

We further decry the systematic targeting of National Unity Platform (NUP) candidates, including those with clear and overwhelming evidence of victory. This deliberate theft of electoral mandates across constituencies is a direct attack on popular sovereignty and an insult to the sacrifices made by the Ugandan people in pursuit of freedom.

Across Africa, the pattern is disturbingly familiar: stolen elections, weaponised security forces, silenced media, and criminalised dissent. Uganda today stands as a painful reminder of what happens when power is placed above the people and the state is turned against its own citizens.

The Take It Back Movement stands in unwavering solidarity with Bobi Wine, the NUP, and the people of Uganda. We call on the African Union, regional bodies, and the international community to move beyond empty statements and take firm, principled action against electoral repression and state violence.

History has shown, time and again, that no amount of intimidation can permanently suppress the will of the people.
The people of Uganda will ultimately win.

Signed,
Sanyaolu Juwon
National Coordinator
Take It Back Movement, Nigeria