Kambwili, Chilufya Mwamba join PF presidential race

CHISHIMBA Kambwili and former Health Minister Dr Chitalu Chilufya yesterday joined the race for the Patriotic Front (PF) presidency, the former ruling party top job that has so far seen Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba, Miles Sampa, Brian Mundubile, Mutotwe Kafwaya and Emmanuel Mwamba among others declared interest.

Yesterday’s nominations brought the total number of the aspiring candidates for the PF top job to an overwhelming eight but the former ruling party acting secretary general, Mr Nickson Chilangwa by press time said there were three more candidates who were yet to file in their nominations.

Mr Kambwili and Dr Chilufya filed their application for PF presidency bringing the number of people vying for the position to eight while there are still other who have expressed interest before the nominations could close yesterday.

There are two female candidates who Mr Chilangwa said had indicated that they would be filing in their nomination for the PF presidency.

There is however a mysterious aspirant who has paid his nomination fees but has decided to remain anonymous but has pledged that he will soon unveil himself as soon as the campaigns commence before March next year.

Mr Chilangwa confirmed that eight candidates had successfully filed in their nominations.

Mr Chilagwa said he had information that that one candidate had deposited the required amount but wanted his identity to remain anonymous until such a time as need would be for him to be unveiled.

He also said three more candidates had declared interest and that they were being considered and that the close of nomination would be extended to Monday, 31st October, 2022.

And all the three PF presidential hopefuls that have submitted their nominations yesterday preached unity in the party during the campaigns and after the general conference in March.

The candidates have pledged that whoever was going to emerge the winner in the general elections would have to get the support of all the other candidates because the PF was bigger than an individual.

Dr. Chishimba Kambwili was first to file in his nominations and urged the secretariat that the adoption of the candidates should not be about the financial muscle of individuals but about a person who had a heart for the party and the country at large.

And Dr. Chilufya said what PF had demonstrated intraparty democracy something he said did not exist in other parties whose leaders were either appointing or were elected by decree.

Dr. Chilufya said the most important thing was that all the candidates that were contesting were from the same family and the adoptions should not divide the party.

Meanwhile, Zambia’s former Ambassador to Ethiopia Emmanuel Mwamba has said the party needed to carry on with late president Michael Sata’s vision of running a peaceful pro-poor party.