Tayebwa Lectures Bobi Wine Over Claims of Ghost NUP Candidates – Your Candidates Are Crossing to NRM Willfully

Deputy Speaker of Parliament and Ruhinda North MP, Thomas Tayebwa, has issued a firm response to National Unity Platform (NUP) president Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, following accusations made against him and President Museveni.

Bobi Wine, reacting to a video showing Tayebwa at State House, accused the Deputy Speaker of presenting “ghost NUP candidates” to President Museveni in a scheme to extort public funds. In a strongly worded statement on X, Bobi Wine claimed that Museveni was being told the ruling party was paying up to Shs400 million to each alleged NUP candidate.

“Here is Museveni’s cold-blooded henchman, Thomas Tayebwa, reading to dictator Museveni three people who have never been NUP candidates,” Bobi Wine wrote, adding that, “they parade fake candidates to him because they know the moment he hears NUP, he releases money to pay them off.”

However, Tayebwa dismissed the allegations and turned the criticism back on the NUP leader, calling for facts, restraint, and respect for former opposition supporters who have since crossed to the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).

“Respectfully my brother, let’s be clear on the facts,” Tayebwa said. “It’s true one of the presented comrades was not a NUP flagbearer and I regret that. Such a mistake won’t be repeated.”

The Deputy Speaker stressed that defections from NUP to NRM are real and ongoing, not manufactured. He cited what he described as mass departures from western Uganda.

“What remains a fact is that tens of your official parliamentary flagbearers have crossed to NRM and even withdrawn from the race,” Tayebwa said. “The latest being the team of over 250 NUP leaders from Kyenjojo, Bundibugyo and Bunyangabo led by three parliamentary candidates.”

According to Tayebwa, those who have crossed over did so willingly, citing dissatisfaction with NUP’s direction.

“They’re approaching us themselves and more are coming,” he said. “There was and there is no need to pay any of these people.”

Tayebwa also challenged Bobi Wine’s habit of branding all defectors as sell-outs, calling it “very unfortunate.”

“These are people you lied to, promised what you knew you could not fulfill but expected them to remain in your camp,” he added, alleging that some NUP flagbearers were promised money that never materialised.

In a pointed conclusion, Tayebwa criticised Bobi Wine’s language and tone, questioning his leadership style.

“Why would someone be labelled cold-blooded because of talking to your supporters?” he asked. “If you behave that way when you have no power, what about when you are given full authority over our country?”

He ended with a sharp remark aimed directly at the NUP leader: “If we are to have a credible conversation about our country’s future, let’s not preach water but drink wine.”