Businessman-turned-politician Sanjay Tanna has officially withdrawn from the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Central Executive Committee (CEC) race, citing irregularities and manipulation of his voter base ahead of the elections. Tanna had been contesting for the position of Chairperson of the Entrepreneurs League within the party’s top decision-making body.
Tanna told reporters that a significant number of his supporters were deliberately moved out of the country to prevent them from voting for him. “About 10 days ago, we realized that many of the delegates who were supposed to vote for us were missing from their constituencies. We found out that many had been herded to Tanzania, Kenya, and, according to rumors, even Rwanda,” he said.
He added that repeated petitions to NRM leadership, including letters to President Yoweri Museveni, the Secretary General, and the Electoral Commission chairman, went unanswered. “To avoid tearing apart the party, I chose to step aside,” Tanna explained, highlighting further irregularities, including bribery and restricted access to voters scattered across various hotels.
Tanna is not the first candidate to step down from the CEC race. Last week, Mbarara City lawmaker Mwesigwa Rukaari, the current Entrepreneurs League chairperson, also withdrew to focus on contesting the Mbarara City North MP race as an independent candidate after losing in the party primaries.
NRM’s internal politics have dominated headlines for weeks, with elections marred by disputes, verbal clashes, bribery allegations, and growing divisions. During a recent National Executive Committee meeting, Second National Vice Chairperson (Female) Rebecca Kadaga publicly clashed with President Museveni over the party’s succession plans, accusing him of favoring Speaker of Parliament Anita Among. Museveni dismissed the allegations, stating he had only advised the candidates to reach a consensus, but neither Kadaga nor Among was willing to step aside. Both are now set to appear on the same ballot at the upcoming National Delegates Conference, setting the stage for a high-stakes showdown within the party.