Felix Mutati’s MMD chairperson for agriculture Chishala Chilufya has accused the other faction leader, Nevers Mumba, of secretly soliciting to meet President Edgar Lungu over issues surrounding the party.

But Mumba’s MMD spokesperson, Peter Phiri, says Mutati should not use desperation to drag Mumba into his failed relationship with PF

In a statement, Chilufya stated that Mumba had been sending messages to President Lungu’s handlers soliciting for a meeting with the hope of convincing him to interfere with the MMD leadership impasse.

“Nevers Mumba has been sending messages to President Lungu’s aides to make an appointment for him. But President Lungu’s aides have refused if they are not availed the agenda. And they have replied to Nevers Mumba that if the agenda is MMD, President Lungu has made his position clear on MMD and who he is working with, a position which is widely informed by many considerations from where the Presidency stands. The President has made his position clear that he will only deal with the legally recognised MMD and in this case Felix Mutati is legitimate and he has publicly refused to be drawn into MMD issues,” stated Chilufya.

“Nevers Mumba long sacrificed his integrity and morality on the altar of political expediency and survival and what he does going forward is merely playing to the gallery. Nevers Mumba was willing to sink the party with him so long as it resisted to be small holder enterprise at his mercy. He didn’t care about anything, look at where he is now, on the wrong side of history! Nevers Mumba has remained alone, he is lonely and this can be seen at court grounds, while our people come in numbers to offer solidarity our former president comes with family members and two women he appointed to NEC. And that’s what happens to all dictators. 99percent of the MMD membership is with Felix Mutati and that the public knows too well.”

But Phiri rubbished Chilufya’s accusations.

“As the MMD, we have noted the various lies and fake propaganda that Mr Felix Mutati through his hungry agents have been spreading. As a Party, we have been quite because we respect due process. Mr. Mutati is before the Court to provide answers on who gave him the authority to organize the illegal MMD Convention of 2016. We would like to inform the Nation that through our very clear Witnesses we have place a well coordinated testimony before the High Court. Mr. Mutati remains in no doubt that as an expelled member of MMD he had no authority to organise, attend or even participate in a convention of the Party, late alone be elected as President,” Phiri stated.

Phiri stated that Mumba as MMD leader would meet any other political party leaders including President Lungu if he so wished.

“We as the MMD would like to trash the hallucinations by Mr. Mutati that Dr. Mumba has been trying to meet Republican President Mr. Edgar Lungu to prevail over the MMD leadership impasse. For the record, Dr Mumba is leader of the MMD and will meet with other political leaders including President Lungu. But such a meeting would never be about the court case. It would be about other national matters. We are completely confident of our chances before the court and we cannot and will never try to fix cases in Court another way. It is an insult by Mutati to both the Republican President and the Judicial Bench to insinuate that they fix cases in such a way,” stated Phiri.

And Phiri warned the Mutati faction that lawyers and bailiffs would soon pounce on their leader and his three other co-accused for payment of costs awarded to Mumba’s faction.

He advised Mumba to prepare for Bailiffs instead of wasting his little resources travelling to and from in the country hoping that his meetings will give him legitimacy.