FORMER President Edgar Lungu is not repositioning himself to run for the presidency again and any such narrative is driven by the UPND which has become paranoid of him, Raphael Nakacinda has maintained.
Mr Nakacinda, the PF chairman for information and publicity says the former president Lungu had assumed his position as a statesman because the status was never offered but earned through dedication to service.
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Speaking when he featured on Millennium Radio Interview programme Mr. Nakacinda said it was not the intention of the party to float former Mr Lungu as its candidate for 2026 as it had not been discussed anywhere and that the former head of State had never discussed the matter with the party.
He said the narrative that former President Lungu was coming back wasonly being driven by the UPND through their known platforms because they were scared of the former head of State as people had started making comparisons.
Mr Nakacinda said the fact that people were making comparisons of the governance of PF with their suffering under the UPND did not mean that the former ruling party was positioning Mr Lungu to run for re-election in the 2026 general elections.
He said the former President Lungu’s interaction with the people from all walks of life including the latest one where he met former Archbishop of Lusaka Diocese Telesphore Mpundu and his successor Archbishop Alick Banda should not be misconstrued as repositioning for a comeback.
“Former President Lungu is not repositioning himself to run for office again. He has not told any of us in the party that he wants to run for office. That has also not been discussed by us as a party and I can tell you the President is not running for office in 2026,’’ Mr Nakacinda said. “That narrative is being driven by scared people; the UPND because they are paranoid of former President Lungu and unfortunately, some of our members are falling for it,” Mr Nakacinda said.
And Mr Nakacinda has maintained that there is no leadership vacuum in the party as they want to institutionalise the PF unlike the UPND which revolves around President Hakainde Hichilema who has been micro managing both the party and government.
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