Everton who? Awkward moment Goodall forgets DPP running mate’s name

Depsite backing President Peter Mutharika’s running mate in the May 21 Tripartite Elections, Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development Goodall Gondwe  struggled to remember the full name of the veep nominee, Everton Chimulirenji during the rally in Mzuzu.

Gondwe, DPP vice president responsible for the Northern Region, during the party rally in Mzuzu left the crowds in stiches when he forgot Chimulirenji’s name, before DPP Northern Regional governor, Kenneth Sanga, intervened to remind him of the particulars.

“A Peter woyeee, a Peter woyee…bala ba runningmate ayime nawo…woyee… zina lawo nkhulimanya chomene cha … [I don’t know his name well],” Gondwe said when he addressed a political rally in Ntchengautuba, Mzuzu/

However, Gondwe supported  Mutharika’s choice of Chimulirenji as his running mate, saying he is a Malawian who can run for any public office.

“ To me, Peter Mutharika is a very wise person. I have stayed with him for over 60 years since our school days. If he chooses him [Chimulirenji], I know it is a wise choice. I will support the choice and I ask people here to support it,” Gondwe said.

President Mutharika surprised his DPP loyalist and supporters when he picked little known Chimulirenji as his running mate for the watershed May 21  elections.

There has been discontent within rank and file of the DPP with others suspecting that the President was forced by his wife, First Lady Gertrude and his powerful security aide Norman Paulos Chisale to pick Chimulirenji who hails from Ntcheu where Chisale comes from which borders Balaka where the First Lady hails from.