Former UPND vice president Geoffrey Mwamba says it would be the most honourable thing for Hakainde Hichilema to step down if he loses the 2021 presidential election.

Recently, Hichilema told his Twitter followers that he will gladly step down if he loses next year’s election.

And commenting on this in an interview, Mwamba, who is now PF deputy chairperson for mobilization, said he did not believe Hichilema would step down.

“If he had to do that, that would be the most honourable thing that he would ever do in his lifetime. But knowing him and having worked so closely with him, I don’t think he will do that because he claims that UPND is him and he is the UPND. And he thinks that no one else can run UPND. If I were him, I would comfortably say that let me try other leaders. There are so many capable leaders in UPND who would actually propel the UPND party to greater heights but he doesn’t want to give them that chance. That is why UPND will not get anywhere as long as he is there,” Mwamba said.

“Just to add on that, he is not a people’s person. He doesn’t charm the Zambian people. He has no political charisma to entice Zambians to vote for him. So, for me, if he had to step down in 2021, I think that would be the most honourable thing. And in fact, he will be doing himself favour so that he can go back to the farm and start rearing [or] looking after the animals. I think in that field, he will do very well and he will grow.”

And Mwamba said a lot of people who had followed him to the UPND had started rejoining the ruling PF.

“I think we are doing exceedingly well and most people that I went with to UPND have started coming back. The reason why? Because they have started seeing that UPND does not mean well. UPND are just a user. They just want to use people to get what they want and after that, they dump them. And moreover, what they did to me, the way I was hounded out of the party is what has annoyed a lot of my followers. And that is why they have backtracked and have started supporting PF. And I will say so far so good for now. The numbers are growing not only in Northern, Luapula, Muchinga or Copperbelt, but even in Southern, Western, and North Western Provinces because they have realized that they have a misfit of a president of the UPND. He is a political misfit. He cannot look after this country at all,” said Mwamba.

“Zambia needs a charmer like President Edgar Lungu, someone who is humble, with humility and of course forgiving. But that is not in my brother Hakainde Hichilema. He has something behind his back. He had natural hatred for certain people. So, if allowed to go into State House, this country will be divided.”