Mbabazi to contest as Independent Not NRM

Former prime minister and presidential hopeful, John Patrick Amama Mbabazi has said he will not contest for presidency on the NRM ticket on grounds that the party primaries are illegal.

“I’m not leaving NRM. I’m just not running on the NRM ticket. I am going to start a journey and at the end of this journey, I’ll be president of Uganda. I have decided that I will not stand within NRM and when the time comes I will be nominated as Presidential candidate,” he said.

Mr Mbabazi made the remarks on Friday while addressing the press at his home in Kololo.

“As a founding member, lawyer and Patriotic citizen I will not bind myself to illegality. NRM must reexamine itself,” he added.

His remarks come after President Museveni said he would be picking his nomination forms for the NRM flag bearer on Friday, a day that the party’s electoral commission chairman, Mr Tanga Odoi declared as the deadline for picking nomination forms for the party primaries.

The former prime minister went to the NRM headquarters on July 16, in what had been expected as a move to pick nomination papers.

However Museveni is to pick forms shortly.

We will keep you posted.

By Joshua Mutale.