Mwenifumbo contradicts Chihana on Aford future

Karonga central legislator  Frank Mwenifumbo has said his political rival in Alliance for Democracy (Aford) Enoch Chihana has no powers to call for a policy conference in October, saying he is not Aford leader.

In an interview with Nyasa Times on Wednesday, Mwenifumbo said Chihana has failed even to call for a national executive committee meeting and he remains an illegitimate leader of Aford.

“After all, we already called for the policy conference due in November and we announced this through our resolution of the NEC meeting we held a few months ago in Mzuzu at Mphatso Motel and a rally we  held at Mzuzu Upper Stadium,” he said.

Added Mwenifumbo: “He is copying on what we did. Enock has failed even to constitute a NEC. You don’t make such substantive  announcements single-handedly.”

This follows Chihana’s announcement on Tuesday in which he said the party will hold a policy conference in October which he said will endorse him and decide whether Aford will go for a coalition or not.

Chihana also claimed there is no leadership wrangle in Aford, saying it is only Mwenifumbo who was causing confusion in Aford for claiming the party presidency.

He said Aford has no time with Mwenifumbo, saying they will meet in court.

But Mwenifumbo said the issue of the Aford leadership legitimacy is not even in court.

“We are in court already following his lawsuits. Unfortunately, his lawsuits are not bordering on legitimacy but on contempt so I am not sure how he thinks the judge will rule on who is the rightful candidate,” he said.

Mwenifumbo said Aford and him have written Chihana several times, asking him to resolve the matter politically and amicably but Chihana has rejected the olive branch.

He said Chihana needs to refile his lawsuit on legitimacy.

“Secondly, how does he predict the judge will rule on his favour  and what makes him think there shall be no appeal. He cannot be talking of calling for Aford convention when he is not the president of Aford,” said Mwenifumbo.

Political scientist Ernest Thindwa said the problem in Aford, just like in the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, Peoples Party and the United Democratic Front is that leaders take parties as personal farms.

He said the leaders think just because the parties were founded by their fathers or relations, then they need to inherit them, saying this is why there are resistance when new faces pop up to challenge the founding member syndrome.