Presidential aspirant Farouk Meywa has strongly opposed what he terms an illegal move to prolong Hajji Omar Mandela’s stay at the helm of SC Villa beyond the stipulated mandate.
Speaking to journalists in Old Kampala on Saturday morning, Meywa alleged that the current administration, working together with the club’s trustees, is plotting to shelve elections and instead grant Mandela an additional two-year term in office.
According to Meywa, such a decision would undermine the democratic principles that govern the club.
“The current club leadership is planning to extend Mandela’s tenure in office to two more years and not to allow fans to elect new leaders this year. We know they plan to continue with his leadership but we won’t accept that and we are ready to battle him in court,” Meywa stated.
He further emphasized that Villa is a members’ institution whose leadership must be determined through periodic elections.
“The club belongs to the fans and they are mandated to vote for their respective leaders every four years. So we are not going to accept what is being planned,” he added.
His remarks come ahead of the club’s Annual General Meeting slated for Sunday in the Kampala suburb of Kulambiro-Ntinda.
Meanwhile, club spokesperson Asan Kasingye used his media address to rally eligible members to take part in the leadership process. He urged all duly registered members with ambitions of serving the record champions to pick nomination forms during the AGM.
“I call upon all fully registered members who are interested in leadership positions to come and pick nomination forms at the AGM,” Kasingye noted.
Mandela, who returned to the presidency in November 2021 after first stepping down in 2004, is widely credited for steering Villa back to glory. Under his stewardship, the Jogoos ended a two-decade league title drought by clinching the 2023/24 championship.
The 17-time league winners remain Uganda’s most decorated side, boasting nine Uganda Cup triumphs and three CECAFA titles — a legacy that continues to fuel intense interest in the club’s leadership direction.
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