Hundreds of supporters joined the Nasserist presidential hopeful, Hamdeen Sabbahi, as he officially submited his candidacy forms on Friday to the Supreme Presidential Electoral Commission (SPEC), in order to be placed on Egypt's the ballot as an independant candidate.

"Ultras Sabbahi" -- as hardcore supporters of the Sabbahi call themselves, came from various gvernorates around Egypt to cheer him on during the application process.

Supporters chanted home-composed lyrics for the 58-year-old as he stepped off the bus that lifted him the the SPEC's headquarters in Heliolopolis, Cairo.

"From now on, you'll never be sad, Egypt... Hamdeen, is the pulse of the nation."

Sources told Ahram Online that Sabbahi managed to collect between 40-45 thousand recommendations forms, surpassing the 30,000 required to run in Egypt first presidential elections since the January 25 Revolution.

Various prominent public figures accompanied Sabbahi to SPEC's headquarters, such as the son of late president Nasser, Abdel Hakim Gamal Abdel-Nasser, film-director Khaled Youssef, Egyptian Journalists' Syndicate council member, Gamal Fahmy, and MP Kamal Abu-Eissa.

Sabbahi is a veteran Nasserist opposition figure and former member of the People's Assembly. He is also an outspoken critic of the United States and Israel.

Sabbahi officially announced his presidential bid in March 2011, opting to run on an independent ticket and not through the Karama Party, which he founded.

He did not run in the parliamentary elections later that year, in order to focus on the presidential contest.

Presidential elections will take place on 23 and 24 May, and the president will be named on 21 June after a run-off voting round on 16 and 17 June.