Nyirenda warns NAREP faction

IT is contemptuous for Ezra Ngulube to talk about the eligibility of my leadership as National Restoration Party (NAREP) president because he is restrained by the court, Steve Nyirenda has said.

Mr Nyirenda said that Mr Ngulube risked being prosecuted for contempt for commenting on a matter which he was ordered not to do by the court.

Recently, Mr Ngulube demanded that Mr Nyirenda should stop masquerading as NAREP leader because the Constitutional Court only ruled on him standing as a presidential candidate and not him being a president.

According to an ex-parte order of interim injunction granted to Mr Nyirenda and others obtained by the Daily Nation, Mr Ngulube and others were restrained from interfering with the administration and governance and the use of the NAREP secretariat.

Mr Ngulube as defendant was restrained along with Charles Maboshe, Maybin Kabwe, Frank Sichone, Evelyn Malongo, Susan Chipeta and Thomas Kayola.

The plaintiffs are Mr Nyirenda, Mwelwa Ngosa and Jimmy Mubanbwe.

The court also ordered that the defendants be prohibited to issue statements regarding NAREP and the leadership.

Therefore, Mr Nyirenda said the court order was clear and that it discouraged anyone from talking about the eligibility issue.

”No one is allowed to comment not even to talk about it, not even the media is allowed,” he said.

He said what Mr Ngulube was saying would land him in prison because the court order does not allow him to say anything or even tamper with anything concerning the party presidency.

The NAREP leadership has been a subject of legal battles following the resignation of party founder, Elias Chipimo in 2019.