Four times presidential candidate Dr Kizza Besigye is on a political test after his name was proposed and dominated the discussion on the preferred presidential candidate for the coalition between People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) and Alliance for National Transition (ANT) in the coming 2026 presidential elections.
Two weeks back, ANT nominated retired Maj Gen Mugisha Muntu as their presidential candidate even though the party leadership confirmed that talks with other opposition leaders are on going so that they can to front a single candidate against incumbent Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhabura Museveni.
The development comes days after ANT signed a political cooperation agreement with PFF and their top leadership including the party chairperson who is also the Kampala Lord Mayor Ssalongo Erias Lukwago were present when Muntu was nominated by his party.
However, before approaching other opposition political parties especially the National Unity Platform (NUP), ANT and PFF held their first meeting concerning who they will present as a presidential candidate at Fairway Hotel. The meeting was chaired by Mzee ambassador Wasswa Birigwa.
Alice Alaso who led the ANT delegation told the meeting that Gen Muntu is their candidate. She asked PFF leadership including Proscovia Salaam Musumba to support Muntu. However the meeting was informed that talks to compromise Dr Besigye to contest as presidential candidate are still ongoing.
Highly placed sources at PFF told Ono Bwino that the only person who can give their political coalition a vibe so that they can secure some political offices especially in parliament should be Dr Besigye.
However, on several occasions, Besigye has assured the public that he will never contest for president if the election is organized by an electoral commission appointed by Museveni.
Sources added that Besigye is the only candidate who can compromise NUP Principal Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (Bobi Wine) to have a discussion on a single opposition presidential candidate as he tried in 2021.
The 2021 deal flopped because Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) were not ready to stand behind Bobi Wine.
Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda the PFF Secretary General confirmed that it is Besigye who usually talks to Bobi Wine and he hear, but in his absence, the communication gap between them and Bobi Wine is still wide.
Joel Ssenyonyi the Leader of Opposition in parliament and also the NUP spokesperson noted that as a party, they welcome the move to have a single presidential candidate but the problem they have with such political coalitions is they do not trust a number of opposition leaders because they have secret dealings with Museveni.
Fred Mukasa Mbidde the Democratic Party (DP) national vice president confirmed that there are no chances that opposition will work together in the coming election.
He predicted that opposition will fight amongst othemselves in the field when mobilizing for votes.
He also foretold that Museveni will perform very well even in Buganda because of the divisions in opposition.
