KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Uganda’s authoritarian leader, who has been in power since 1986, was confirmed on Tuesday as a candidate in January’s presidential vote and urged supporters to back his vision for the future.

Electoral officials formally declared President Yoweri Museveni a candidate at an event just outside of Kampala, the Ugandan capital, after more than 2 million supporters signed on to back his bid, according to his party.

Museveni’s ruling National Resistance Movement controls the national assembly, which is widely seen as weak and subservient to the presidency. In 2017 lawmakers removed a constitutional age limit on the presidency, leaving room for Museveni, now 81, to run for as long as he wishes.

Museveni told supporters after he was officially nominated that his goal is “

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