Bobi Wine’s NUP: We’re not afraid of paying billions to Museveni, Byabakama for withdrawing petition from Supreme Court

National Unity Platform (NUP) spokesperson Joel Ssenyonyi has told reporters the opposition party is not afraid of the billions the Supreme Court might award the respondents in the presidential petition its leader Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine wants withdrawn.

On February 22, Bobi Wine announced he had directed his lawyers to withdraw his petition, citing bias on the side of judges.

But a day before the announcement, ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) lawyers warned Bobi Wine would have to pay billions to respondents in court costs.

“I hope his [Bobi Wine] lawyers are advising him about this action of his because to withdraw the petition, there are specific provisions to be considered. So his casual remarks, if they are true, then they should realise that it is not a simple thing,” warned Oscar Kihika, the director of the NRM legal department, at the weekend in a press conference at the party secretariat offices in Kampala.

“So this decision has to be taken not lightly. Obviously if he withdraws, he can be rest assured that as lawyers for the respondents we shall go after Hon Kyagulanyi for the costs if he chooses to take that course. That is for sure.

The respondents include NRM’s Museveni, and the Electoral Commission (EC).

But on Monday, Ssenyonyi said NUP had already paid a huge price and wouldn’t mind footing the billions in court costs.

“We are not worried about the costs because ultimately, we have been paying the price ever since we decided to challenge Pres Museveni, look at how many lives we have lost. What is more expensive than life?” said NUP publicist Ssenyonyi.