I’ll not topple HH – Nkombo

By PETER SICHALI GARY Nkombo says he has no intentions of challenging Haikande Hichilema for the UPND presidency, claiming those saying he wanted to topple him were up to no good. Mr Nkombo’s denial follows several claims by UPND top officials, among them former Western Province chairperson Njamba Musangu, that the Mazabuka Member of Parliament was making moves to oust Mr Hichilema at the party’s general conference set for January 12.  However, Mr Nkombo, who is UPND national chairperson for elections, has rubbished the claims that he wants to challenge Mr Hichilema. Mr Nkombo also said there is no secret mission to get rid of UPND members who defected from other political parties as claimed by Mr Njamba. He said in an interview that the allegations were of no substance. Mr Nkombo said he had no intentions of challenging Mr Hichilema at the forthcoming national convention, adding that such speculations were meant to distract members from real issues. “There is no substance in claims that I want to challenge President Hakainde Hichilema and that of getting rid of people from other political parties,” he said. Mr Njamba earlier said there was no democracy in the UPND and the party had embarked on a campaign to get rid of members who had joined it from other parties. He described the just ended UPND Western Province intraparty elections a sham, putting the blame on Mr Nkombo. “Now that they think the party is forming Government next year they want to get rid of all those that came from other political parties including PF and MMD,” Mr Njamba said. He said PF provincial elections were credible, free and fair compared to those of UPND. Mr Njamba said it would not be right for UPND to use people from other parties as ladders and later dump them like diapers. He had accused Mr Nkombo of suppressing democracy in the province so that he could have his puppets to support him at the national convention. Meanwhile, Mr Njamba said UPND national women’s chairlady and the incoming provincial chairperson of segregation based on tribe. He said the two are getting rid of Nkoyas and Luvales from the party.