Patriotic Front (PF) Secretary General Davies Mwila says Lupososhi member of parliament Lazarus Chungu will remain the party’s provincial chairman for Northern since President Edgar Lungu has overruled his decision to have him removed.

And Mwila says he has established that the party lost Ilambo ward to the opposition UNPD because its campaign manager, John Kwandangala, had never visited the area from the time he was elected as Lupososhi Council Chairman.

Meanwhile, Mwila said PF will not impose a candidate for the Chilubi parliamentary by-election but will rather adopt whoever the grassroots will recommend.

In a statement issued by PF Northern Province youth secretary Chanda Nsofu, Mwila said his decision to have Chungu dropped from the position of provincial chairman had been overruled by President Lungu.

“When the President speaks on a party issue and gives a position, that is the end of that matter. I first made a statement on the Ilambo loss and then the President made a statement. President Edgar Lungu, being the head of the PF party, has made a final position on the Ilambo loss. So Hon Chungu Bwalya remains the PF Northern Province Chairman. It is a closed chapter,” Mwila said.

Speaking when he met the party structures in Lupososhi and Luwingu District at Triple Blessings Lodge, Mwila said PF lost the Ilambo ward because it had a wrong campaign manager who had neglected his electorates.

“We lost the Ilambo ward by-election because of complacency among ward, constituency, district and provincial officials. We are used to winning so we thought it is business as usual. We also had a wrong campaign manager in the name of Lupososhi Council Chairman John Kwandangala who had never visited Ilambo ward ever since he was elected as Lupososhi Council Chairman. The people of Ilambo ward were bitter that he had neglected them since they voted for him. I have reliable and verified information that Lupososhi MP, Chungu Bwalya almost every weekend visits his constituency whenever parliament is in session. The other reason I have gathered is that the PF Lupososhi District Chairman and Constituency Chairman were barring people willing to help them campaign in Ilambo ward. Campaigning is teamwork. To carry out an effective and efficient campaign you need the help of everyone. Embrace everyone in campaigns and work as a team,” Mwila said.

He urged his structures to avoid putting the blame of the Ilambo ward loss on Chungu or the campaign team because winning an election was a collective responsibility.

“The fact that you have served in the party for a very long time must not make you ineffective and inefficient. It must make you sharper because you have rich experience in the party. We cannot put all the blame on the Lupososhi MP or the Lupososhi Council Chairman because campaigning is a collective work. It is a collective responsibility. We must all ask ourselves what we could have done better. We must all get involved in campaigning for our party,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mwila said the party would not impose a candidate for the upcoming Chilubi parliamentary by-election.

“We will not impose a candidate for the Chilubi parliamentary by election. We will adopt whoever you our lower party organs highly recommends. We will adopt whoever you choose,” Mwila said when he met Chilubi PF officials at Mainland Secondary School.

Meanwhile, Chungu said the Ilambo loss was a disappointment to the President as well as to the party at large.

“I am very sad, hurt and embarrassed for the Ilambo loss. I know there is no enough explanation I can give to explain the loss in Ilambo ward. We have disappointed the President, Secretary General, the Central Committee and all our PF supporters. They are all angry and sad. The President personally told me that he was very angry and disappointed with me. I, Chungu Bwalya MP for Lupososhi constituency and PF Northern Province Chairman I have taken full responsibility of the Ilambo ward loss,” said Chungu.