Nankhumwa challenges APM for DPP presidency
Leader of Opposition in Parliament Kondwani Nankhumwa says he is ready to compete with former president Peter Mutharika for the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) presidency at the party’s convention on December 26 and 27 2023.
In a statement issued yesterday, Nankhumwa, who is the party’s vice-president for the South but was stripped of the position after Mutharika appointed him as his adviser last week, acknowledges the new dates for the elective convention as set by DPP national governing council (NGC) in Mangochi on Wednesday.
Ironically, last week Nankhumwa and his faction held an ‘NGC’ meeting which set the convention for December 15-16. However, the High Court of Malawi on Monday granted an injunction to Blantyre City Central legislator Chipiliro Mpinganjira and others putting on hold implementation of the resolutions from the earlier meeting.
In the statement, Nankhumwa said: “I am particularly relieved that APM [Mutharika] has openly declared his intention to stand as a presidential candidate at the national convention. His earlier silence on this matter was highly polarising and posed a significant threat to dividing the party.
“In the same vein, I reiterate my commitment and resolve to compete against any candidate[s] vying for the position of president for DPP, including Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika.”
DPP spokesperson Shadric Namalomba, who also speaks for Mutharika, could not be drawn for a comment yesterday despite efforts to reach him through phone calls and WhatsApp messages.
On September 29 the High Court of Malawi ordered the party to hold a convention within 90 days.
During the NGC meeting in Mangochi, Mutharika expressed interest to compete for the position adding that Malawians expect DPP, which was voted out of power in the 2020 Fresh Presidential Election, to get back into power and bail them out of the current challenges
