President Edgar Lungu says Zambia needs leaders who are Christians because they are able to ask God to keep them away from temptations.

And President Lungu says he is not using the church to gain political mileage because he became Christian before becoming a politician.

Speaking when he graced the commemoration of the declaration of Zambia as a Christian nation in Nkana West, Kitwe, President Lungu warned that leaders who were not Christian would touch the Treasury first and then pray later.

“We need Christians to be leaders and not people who want to come in, wolves dressed as people. You are able to tell if you call for the spirit of discernment so that you are able to tell that this one is a Christian among the politicians. So 2021, we expect the political landscape to be dominated by Christians. We need people who will come to lead us and say ‘God keep me away from temptation’. Not someone who will touch the national Treasury and then later pray to God,” President Lungu said.

“I will not stop talking about this even if they will hate me because I believe that the intentions of the previous governments was for Zambians to be Christians. As you are working with all political parties, infuse Christianity in them so that 2021 will be full of Christians.”

And President Lungu said he is not using the church to gain political mileage because he became Christian before becoming a politician.

“I know that I have been accused of trying to hijack the church and use it to become a politician. No, I was a Christian and I am still a Christian. So I cannot use my faith in Christ because of being a politician. Politicians come and go and I will go with my Christ, those who want to take over from me should come with Christ and continue with the slogan of Zambia being a Christian Nation. Let us use our faith to in good faith and proclaim Jesus among Christians who are the politicians so that they can come and serve the people of God with the best,” said President Lungu.

“Let us bring as many people as we can to the church, especially those who want to preside over our affairs of governance as leaders in the country. The reason why I am saying let us bring forth Christians in the political arena is because Zambia is a Christian nation and we should have leaders who are Christians. We can not succeed if we bring people at the apex who do not believe in God.”