Wed, 09 Aug 2017 10:47:10 +0000
Dear Editor,
Former Nigerian leader Olusegun Obasanjo was recently in Zambia, arriving on Saturday, August 5, 2017.
His visit to the country was to seek permission from President Edgar Lungu so that the former statesman could visit the incarcerated leader of the United Party for National Development (UPND), Hakainde Hichilema.
The UPND leader is detained at Mukobeko Maximum Correctional Facility in Kabwe and he is facing a charge of treason charge along with his accomplices.
Government facilitated for the movement of General Obasanjo to visit the UPND leader in Kabwe, using the Zambia Air Force (ZAF) aircraft.
The former Nigerian leader is an advocate of peace and unity in Africa.
He has expressed concern and disappointment at Mr Hichilema’s failure to accept the outcome of the August 11, 2016 presidential polls which were resoundingly won by President Lungu.
Mr. Obasanjo has advised Mr Hichilema to concede defeat and recognise President Lungu as the duly elected president of Zambia.
He also implored the incarcerated opposition leader to forget the 2016 polls and instead focus on the next general elections.
The UPND leader is on record of having blatantly refused to recognise President Lungu as the Republican President despite the latter being endorsed by the election observer missions like the European Union, Southern African Development Community (SADC) among others.
General Obasanjo later held a private meeting with President Lungu at State House the same day he visited Mr Hichilema at in Kabwe.
The meeting was aimed at deliberating on a number of pertinent issues including the August 2016 polls among others.
The advice by the former Nigerian leader to Mr Hichilema to concede defeat is timely and in the spirit of fostering development, peace and unity in Zambia.
Moreover, Zambia is bigger than any individual politician.
ELEMIYA PHIRI,
Lusaka
