President Edgar Chagwa Lungu has nullified the expulsion of the two Patriotic Front (PF) senior members of Petauke District in Eastern Province who were expelled by Provincial Chairperson Andrew Lubusha on Sunday for allegedly breaching the party constitution.

Lubusha expelled Emmanuel (Jay Jay) Banda and Elias Daka (Eliboma) in a letter dated February 20, 2019, alleging that the expulsion was arrived at after a central Committee meeting and instructions by party secretary general Davies Mwila.

The PF secretariat however, said Lubusha’s actions had no blessing of the top leadership in Lusaka.

And PF media director Sunday Chanda confirmed to News Diggers that President Lungu had decided to quash the decision to expel Banda and Daka, on grounds that the two had not been given an opportunity to be heard.

“The two gentlemen have been accused of causing disharmony in the party and the Secretary General directed that disciplinary action be taken against the two and of course the instruction was that they needed to be suspended from the party. But what we saw was that the Provincial Chairperson decided to expel them. Considering the fact that the two colleagues deserve to be heard, the party decided to quash the expulsion and allow the two gentlemen to exculpate themselves,” said Chanda.

Meanwhile, Sources close to Daka, who is Lubusha’s only challenger in the upcoming intra party elections for Eastern Province told News Diggers that the Chairman had been ordered to make a personal announcement on all local radio stations in the region, regarding the President’s directive.