The opposition leader in Uganda, Bobi Wine, has asked the apex court of the East African nation to overturn the outcome of a recently concluded presidential poll, citing a case of corruption and “numerous irregularities.” 

The pop star-turned-politician, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, became distant second behind the veteran leader and incumbent, President Yoweri Museveni, in the January 14 vote that followed some of the worst pre-election bloodshed in Uganda in years. 

According to official election results, Museveni – who has been in power for 35 years starting in 1986 – secured a sixth term in office with 58% of the votes. Wine, on the other hand, came in second with 35%. The campaign era leading up to the election between President Yoweri Museveni (76) and Bobi Wine (38) was marred by violence, with at least 54 people dying after protests that erupted because of Wine’s arrest in November. Wine said more than 400 supporters, including members of his campaign team, were arrested.

The pop star-turned-politician delayed filing the challenge after he was forced into an 11-day house arrest following the vote, blocking him from meeting his lawyers. The petition filed on Monday against Museveni, the Electoral Commission, and the nation’s attorney general, said there were many instances of ballot boxes being stuffed and declaration forms altered, according to George Musisi, a Lawyer with Bobi Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP).

Under the constitution, Wine had 15 days from the declaration of results by the electoral commission to challenge the outcome. The petition is expected to be heard within 45 and 55 days, he said in the capital of Uganda, Kampala.    

“We want the poll canceled and repeated,” he said. “There was outright ballot-stuffing, there was intimidation of NUP agents and supporters, some were arrested on the eve of the election, there was pre-ticking of ballots.”

Museveni has won every election since 1996, almost all marred by allegations of irregularities.