NATIONAL Restoration Party (NAREP) NAREP spokesperson Frank Sichone says the opposition party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) has with immediate effect dissolved Steven Nyirenda’s presidency for allegedly bringing division and failure to follow party procedures.

But Nyirenda has insisted that he is still the party president, arguing that his purported removal is a small thing and nothing to worry about.

In a statement, Saturday, Sichone stated that the party had asked its former president, Elias Chipimo to go back and join them as they work towards building the party for the 2021 election.

Sichone stated that the party had resolved that Charles Maboshe, the party vice president, continues as president.

But immediately after that, Nyirenda held a press briefing at his residence alongside Maboshe and others.

Nyirenda stated that he was not aware of the announcements at the purported NEC meeting.

“I want to assure you that this morning, we were supposed to have a meeting and that meeting did not take place. Prior to the meeting, we had some misunderstandings and some people decided to leave so the meeting didn’t take place. So I am not aware, my members here you can see, I have got my vice president Mr [Charles] Maboshe, my vice president-politics Mr [Ngosa] Mwewa, my chairman, my chairman-chiefs. We are the top executive of the party. We are not aware about those announcements that were being done there,” he said.

Nyirenda said the party would have a meeting where the said problems in the party would be discussed, soon.

“But I can assure you that within the shortest period we should convene a meeting where they can tell us what the problem is. I have never received any single letter or problem from either my vice or chairman or indeed any of the NEC members to say ‘look there is a problem in the party’. What we know is that the party has been doing very very well. We have being going up. And we are taking part in the Mwansabombwe elections and other elections that are up there. So we are really surprised. Is this coming from ourselves or it’s coming from the opposition because they are afraid that we are hitting hard and we are taking over next year? And this is the problem. If you are doing that from outside, whoever you are, stop it. We are there to provide a solution for this country,” he said.

“What has happened for me, it’s a small thing. Its not a thing to worry about. Where there are many people, there are different opinions. All those different opinions need to be heard, they need to be harmonised. We will try to talk to whoever is involved to bring everyone together. We have a strategy that we are following and we will not stop. You will see us taking part in other elections that are coming so that shouldn’t be a problem. In a house, people fight, people quarrel. This fight and quarrel hasn’t reached my office yet, I don’t have not even a single complaint. What is being said for me is a surprise. I could have seen if it was on my table. They are our people, we cherish them, we love them and we will value whatever they are going to say, we will look at it.”

Asked by one of the journalists how he was relating to the people who had passed a vote of no confidence against him, Nyirenda said his position was to unite the party, adding that he worked with everyone else.

He insisted that he was the NAREP president.

“My position is to unify and to give fatherly advice. I will work with anyone else regardless of their tempers or whatever they are and so on. We have one goal which is to win elections and provide leadership. Personally I take each one of these as my young men, some of them are like my children, nieces, nephews. I unit them and talk to them. But whatever agenda is there, we don’t know. Mr Maboshe who they have said he is the president, he [is] sitting next to me. He is not the president, I am the president. He is my vice,” Nyirenda said.

And when Maboshe was asked if he had taken up the appointment as president, he said he had just received that news and had not seen his letter of appointment.

He however said he was for the unity of the party and wanted to meet the other group and hear their grievances fully to see if they could become one family again.

“I have just received that news. I haven’t yet seen my letter of appointment. But I am for the unity of the party. I want to meet our members, that group and hear their grievances fully, look at it and see if we can become one family again. Because when we are united then we can achieve our goals. At the moment I am not fully aware of all the complaints,” said Maboshe.