MUMBI ENDORSES LUNGU

IT is the United Party for National Development (UPND) that started the narrative about Edgar Lungu’s comeback into politics and so, I will help them in bringing him back but if I fail, they must be assured that whoever we will adopt for 2026, nangula fye ichibata, will beat them because people are suffering, Mumbi Phiri has vowed.

And Ms. Phiri has advised members of the Patriotic Front (PF) opposed to her open support for Mr. Lungu and her consequent decision to ask him to come out of retirement and lead the PF ahead of the 2026 elections to respect her opinion.

Speaking to The Scoop in an interview, Ms. Phiri said she was determined to irritate the UPND and those opposed to Mr. Lungu’s comeback because it was now clear that the very idea of him coming back gave them goose bumps due to his popularity.

She said since the UPND were obsessed with Mr. Lungu’s return to politics, she will help them bring him back.

“Ukulumbula mumbwe, ninshi mulemwita. The UPND are always talking about ECL’s return and that means they are calling for his return into politics. That is why I am trying to help them bring him back into politics. (Former) President Lungu himself called for the lifting of his immunity if they think there is anything wrong he has done, so why should they always be irritated?

“All the time Mr. Lungu! Mr. Lungu…! Now, I will irritate them because every day, I will be calling upon him to come back from retirement and lead the PF. In fact, there are people who have started coming to me saying they are ready to escort him to the Cabinet Office to withdraw his letter of retirement from active politics,” Ms. Phiri said.

She said those who were asking Mr. Lungu to state his position were not being fair because his position was there in black and white where he retired from active politics and that until he rescinded that decision, those pushing him to state his position must give him a break.

“When ECL wrote the letter to the Cabinet Office, the Secretary to the Cabinet showed us the same letter. However, we have been hearing people saying president Lungu should state his stance. What are they implying when their Government is in possession of the former president’s resignation? According to my understanding, Mr. Lungu retired and that is why I asked him to get back his retirement letter and go into active politics and I still stand by that.

“It is the UPND in short who want ECL back into active politics. I am only helping them. In case I will not succeed in convincing him to come back to active politics… I am not the only one… so if we do not succeed, whoever will be endorsed nangula fye ichibata (even if it is a duck), the people of Zambia will vote for that particular one. That I can assure you. If we do not succeed in bringing him back because as it is, he is still in retirement, but I repeat; whoever we are going to endorse will definitely go through and win because we are suffering. The people of Zambia are suffering,” she said.

Meanwhile, Ms. Phiri has taken a swipe at PF members opposed to her support for Mr. Lungu saying she respected their opinion not to and they too, must respect hers because they could not all think the same way.

“I am not the only one calling for his return. There are other people who have even started coming who are saying they want to go and force him to go out and they are ready to escort him to the Cabinet Office to rescind his earlier decision.

“In our party, each one of us has an opinion and so, if others are objecting his return, then I also respect their opinion because it is their opinion and we cannot all think the same way. I expect people to respect my personal opinion. I feel President Edgar Lungu should come back because even the UPND…. what is the procedure for a person to return to active politics?” she asked.

Ms. Phiri has since called for calm in the PF

“I encourage our party members and supporters to be positive and stay calm. Let us stay calm because the Patriotic Front party is very strong. When I told president Lungu to withdraw the resignation letter, he did not respond to my request and that is why we should be calm as a party,” she said.