News
ECL can’t convince any reasonable Zambian that there’s something that he omitted or forgot to achieve in 7 yrs – Sean Tembo
VERY EMOTIONAL
ABOUT UKA: OUR DETAILED POSITION AS PeP
By Sean Tembo – PeP President
1. When the United Kwacha Alliance (UKA) was first announced a few weeks ago, a number of media houses reached out to us and sought our position as Patriots for Economic Progress (PeP) on whether we shall be joining the alliance in question. Our response was very brief, and purposefully so. We said that we support the formation of UKA and that in future we may consider joining them, but for now we shall only be with them in spirit.
2. However, about four weeks later, it has now become necessary that we state our detailed position regarding this alliance. Let me start by making it very clear that as PeP, we strongly believe that an alliance is the most sure way of unseating the UPND party from office in the upcoming 2026 general elections. Let there be no question about that. Also, there is no question that President Hakainde Hichilema and his UPND party have completely failed the Zambian people and there will be a huge appetite to remove them from office in the 2026 general elections. So as opposition, we are actually walking a slope.
3. Nonetheless, my considered view is that it is not just any form of opposition alliance that will unseat the UPND party from office. It has to be a sellable alliance that will appeal to the people. Mind you that the Zambian voter of today is much more sophisticated and awake and is not as naive or gullible as the Zambian voter of yesteryears. That means if we are going to unseat the UPND in 2026, we need to present a united opposition package that will make sense to voters. Of course if we do not unite as opposition ahead of the 2026 polls, what is likely to happen is that the votes will be split in 2026 and that will benefit the ruling party. However, even in the unfortunate event of split votes in 2026, one of us will definitely emerge as a clear favorite to the people, and that is the party that will most likely unseat the UPND in 2031. The point that l am trying to make here is that an alliance that does not make sense to the people is more detrimental to the opposition than no alliance at all.
4. So then, what is our detailed position regarding UKA? Well, let me start by saying that l have utmost respect for each of the individuals that currently make up UKA. In fact, a good number of them are my personal friends. However, l personally see the UKA project as a comedy of errors. That is largely because of the presence of former President Lungu in the alliance, as well as the model that has been adopted to create UKA whereby it is made up of leaders of individual political parties. It is a well known fact that Hon. Miles Sampa has stolen the PF party, of course with help from the ruling UPND. It is also common knowledge that the court wrangles in PF are unlikely to be resolved before the 2026 general elections, again with the help of the ruling UPND party. Therefore, by President Lungu being in UKA in his capacity as PF President, he is effectively transmitting the wrangles which are in PF into UKA. Therefore, instead of UKA providing an alternative platform to the hijacked PF, it is instead facing the same dilemma as the hijacked PF.
5. Coming to President Lungu himself, my considered view is that any alliance involving the PF has to be devoid of Former President Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu, if it is going to be sellable to the people. I have no doubt in my mind that the majority of the Zambian people want President Hakainde Hichilema gone after 2021, but l also have no doubt in my mind that the majority of the Zambian people do not want Former President Lungu to go back to State House. Mr. Lungu had seven years to run the affairs of this nation, and he did what he could. Apart from diehard PF Supporters, l do not think the Former President can convince any reasonable Zambian that there is something that he omitted or forgot to achieve while in office, for which he needs to be elected back.
6. Of course it has become fashionable on the world scene for former leaders to seek re-election and to in fact be elected back into office. But our local circumstances here are quite different. For starters, the Former President currently does not have a political party. Hon. Miles Sampa is officially in charge, and l have no doubt in my mind that he is working day and night to ensure that he completely destroys the PF party, of course with the guidance, collaboration and support of the Government. I would not want to delve into how the Former President lost the party to Hon. Miles Sampa, that is a discussion for another day. Suffice to say that in African politics, opposition leaders are endangered species. The ruling party is constantly working to undermine and eliminate you. For you to survive, you need to constantly think and act one step ahead of the ruling party.
7. Although Mr. Hakainde Hichilema unfortunately turned out to be the worst President that Zambia has ever had, one thing that you cannot take away from him is the fact that he was a resilient and shrewd opposition leader. As an opposition leader in Africa, you are like an Impala in the jungle, and you need to act like one. Even when drinking water, an Impala will take one sip, then look right, look left, look behind, look up, then take another sip. If you are an Impala but you have the attitude and arrogance of a lion, then be rest assured that you cannot survive for long. Unfortunately, that is the tragedy that has befallen most PF leaders. They lost the power but they kept the arrogance.
8. The other aspect is that political support is something that heavily relies on sympathy. In fact there is no greater driver for political support than sympathy. But for people to sympathize with you, they need to see you as a victim. We have all been monitoring the updates from UKA leaders regarding their attempts to register the organization and how the Registrar of Societies and the Zambia Police have been sending them from pillar to post. Ideally, that is supposed to elicit strong condemnation from various stakeholders, except for the fact that barely 30 months ago, those were the exact schemes which one of the UKA members was exacting on others. So it becomes a problem for people to condemn when someone is given a taste of their own medicine.
9. The other prominent aspect of UKA in its current form, that is worth mentioning is the inherent hypocrisy. We have people who resigned from Former President Lungu’s Government on the basis that it was a corrupt Government, proceeded to form their own party and are today rallying behind Former President Lungu. The question is; what has changed? Also we have people who were fired from Former President Lungu’s Cabinet after referring to fire tenders as wheelbarrow’s, today telling us that they worked very well with their former boss, as they are unveiled as UKA Chief Executive Officer. Really? Then we have others who are complaining about the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act and yet the person who signed it into law is seated right next to them?
10. The bottom line is that as Patriots for Economic Progress, we have a very high appetite for collaboration with other opposition political parties. We strongly believe that in order to remove the UPND party from office in 2026, and deliver a better Zambia for the people, there is an inevitable need to create an alliance. But any such alliance must be one that creates synergy among the participating political parties. The total package must be one that is appealing and sellable to the people. There is no question that, as the immediate past ruling party, the PF is still very strong on the ground. Just like UNIP was still very strong on the ground in 1994 and MMD in 2014. The true value of the PF party to the political discourse of the nation will depend on how well it rebrands itself, if it rebrands itself at all. Anyway, the Future is SET
Aloy Ejimakor, lead counsel for Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has accused the Department of State Services (DSS) of denying the agitator access to his legal team and visitors, in violation of existing court orders.
Ejimakor expressed growing concern over Kanu’s health and wellbeing following the DSS’s latest refusal to allow his legal team to see him. The incident occurred during a routine visit to the DSS headquarters in Abuja on October 14, 2024, as part of a court-ordered visitation schedule.
“We were blocked from seeing Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in direct violation of subsisting court orders,” Ejimakor revealed in a statement. He further noted that Kanu has been denied visitors since his last court appearance on September 24, 2024, when the IPOB leader demanded that Justice Binta Nyako recuse herself from his case due to a lack of confidence. Although the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, overruled the recusal, the DSS has consistently blocked access to Kanu since then.
Ejimakor raised alarms about the DSS’s actions, suggesting that they may be related to Kanu’s successful bid to have Justice Nyako step down, even though her recusal was later overturned. He added that previous attempts to enforce court compliance through legal applications have been ignored, leaving the impression that the DSS is acting above the law.
“The DSS should remember that court-ordered visitations are meant for Kanu’s relatives and lawyers to ensure his wellbeing. Now that access has been completely denied, one must ask: What is the DSS hiding? Is Mazi Nnamdi Kanu hale and hearty?” Ejimakor questioned.
This latest development has fueled ongoing tensions, as the legal battle surrounding Kanu’s trial intensifies, with the DSS facing increasing criticism for defying judicial orders and infringing on Kanu’s rights.
Three kidnappers suspected to have attempted to kidnap the wife of a member of the Delta State House of Assembly have been killed by the police in a fierce gun duel.
According to the information on PUNCH Metro, it was gathered that the hoodlums had failed in an attempt to kidnap the woman on September 2, 2024, at the Okoloba Junction, Jakpa Road, Uvwie, where the suspected kidnappers killed two policemen and the driver, Mr. David Imela, during the incident.
However, the police spokesperson, Bright Edafe, confirmed this to the PUNCH Metro on Sunday in Asaba, the Delta State capital.
He said, “Following the failed attempted kidnap of the wife of one of the members of Delta State House of Assembly where the suspected kidnappers murdered two Mobile Policemen and the driver, the Commissioner of Police, Olufemi Abaniwonda, immediately ordered a water-tight deployment around Warri and its environs as well as narrowing the roads and blockage of all exit points.
“Police operatives of the Ebrumede Division led by the DPO CSP Iwok Ndifereke strategically deployed and created an artificial hold-up at the DSC Roundabout and sighted the vehicle as described with a matching registration number.
“On noticing the traffic and sighting the policemen, the hoodlums opened fire on the team which the team equally responded professionally owing to the busy nature of the area.”
He said the hoodlums immediately abandoned the vehicle shattered with bullets and escaped with bullet injuries while three AK-47 rifles and their operational vehicle with registration no. WWR-436-GZ were recovered.
According to Edafe, the CP who was not satisfied with their escape, directed that the DPO Ebrumede should go all out and ensure the suspects were arrested and brought to book.
“Armed with available information and exhibits found in the abandoned vehicle, on October 3, 2024, the DPO Ebrumede Division, CSP Iwok Ndifereke, led operatives to their hideout in Agbarho where the police engaged the suspects in a fierce gun duel.
“The policemen who prepared for the battle ahead overpowered the hoodlums, three of the suspects sustained serious gunshot injuries while others escaped and another AK-47 rifle was also recovered.
“The suspects were taken to the hospital where they were confirmed dead. A manhunt for the other fleeing members of the gang is ongoing,” he said.
Edafe said Olufemi also commended the bravery the DPO and his men displayed during the operation and urged other officers and men of the command to emulate them.
The Ogun State police command on Monday said that its Igbeba Division, Ijebu-Ode, arrested one Shedrack Olawale Olayemi, who had been on the police wanted list for armed robbery and alleged rape of some female students of Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, in July.
The spokesperson for the state police command, SP Omolola Odutola, disclosed this in a statement sent to journalists on Monday.
Odutola said that Olayemi was picked up after an intelligence report revealed that the 33-year-old alleged armed robber and rapist was sighted at the university area, Ijagun, where he has been trying to conceal his identity.
The statement said, “The divisional police officer of Igbeba Division has arrested a wanted notorious suspect for armed robbery.
“Following a tip-off, that one Olayemi Olawale Shedrack, aged 33 was sighted in Ijagun, trying to conceal himself among other citizens, but his identity was immediately confirmed by intelligence, and the police were contacted. In swift action, he was apprehended.
“Olayemi Olawale Shedrack has been on the police search for armed robbery and rape. He was fingered as the prime suspect for an alleged crime of armed robbery and rape in which he participated actively on the 21st of July, 2024, where he and his cohort broke into a female Royal Villa accommodation area in Tai University of Education Ijagun, where he robbed harmless female students of their luxury educational devices, including laptops, iPhones, sports wristwatches and cash, and further had unlawful carnal knowledge of the innocent female student and has since fled.”
The police said that a preliminary investigation has commenced, and the suspect has been immediately taken to the Igbeba police station for interrogation and will soon be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for discreet investigation and prosecution.
