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Aford executive members and official on Thursday gave party president Chakufwa Chihana seven days to retire or resign and immediately stop using party structures, symbols, and transacting business using the party’s name.
Unveiling a petition served on their president at a press conference in Mzuzu, the officials called their president a ‘dictator’, abuser of party funds, and ‘a shame to Aford’.
“We members of the management committee of the party’s National Executive Committee (Nec) have served a petition to Chihana, signed by the majority of Nec members and officials, asking him to retire or resign as president of Aford, ” said the party’s General Secretary Wallace Chiume.
Chiume was accompanied by party spokesperson Khwauli Msiska, treasurer general Tyson Chinkhokwe Banda, campaign director Dindi Gowa Nyasulu, national organising secretary Chrispin Mphande, deputy secretary general Frank Mwenifumbo and Nec members Cheston Kaira, Wisdom Gondwe and Chidiko Nyirenda.
The petition gives the president seven days to wind up business and says any leader or member found dealing with him on party matters “will face appropriate disciplinary action”.
Chihana is accused of:
. a clandestine plan to kill the identity of Aford by systematically dragging the Party towards a merger with the UDF for unknown personal motives;
.gross misuse of party campaign funds and other resources by deploying the same for selfish personal use, a move which significantly contributed to the poor performance at the polls;
.making deliberate and calculated public pronouncements which embarrass as well as compromise Aford’s current working relationship with government;
.unconstitutional appointments of members into the national executive council even after the relevant Nec meetings had rejected such appointments;
.disrespectful, selfish, arrogant and dictatorial treatment of Aford leaders at all levels;
.making public pronouncements prior to the general elections which tarnished the image of the party thereby reducing even further its chances to perform well;
.blatant demonstration of lack of trust of fellow leaders by conniving with some district officials against those in Nec and
.conducting secret negotiations and indulging in clandestine deals using the party for personal benefits.
Surprisingly, most of the officials present, were close to Chihana and previously defended most of his decisions and policies.
Gowa Nyasulu said they had for long stood by him hoping he would change his character, but to no avail.
He said: “Whatever you call it: Retiring, resigning, or stepping down, it is all those put together, that we ask Chihana to do. These are 25 signatures of members of Nec and top officials, who are able to defend the petition as a true reflection of what members of Aford want — that he quits.”
Mwenefumbo, who is the only other Aford MP in government, said Chihana was served with the petition on Thursday morning through party national chair Chipimpha Mughogho.
He said: “We booked appointment to meet him today at his Chombe residence, but when we went there we heard he had left for Lilongwe early in the morning, around 4:30AM. This led us to serve the document on national chair, Chipimpha Mughogho, who has promised to deliver it immediately.”
When contacted, Chihana said, before cutting the line, he could not comment on any issues to the media.
“Please talk to the publicity secretary, Norman Nyirenda,” he said.
Nyirenda said Khwauli Msiska, Chiume, and Nyasulu had no justification to accuse Chihana, because it was because of them, and not the president, that the party was now weak.
“Why should Chihana resign when only a handful of people signed that document. Let those people come to the party’s Nec this Sunday, and see who reigns supreme, between them and Chihana,” said Nyirenda who said he had not seen the petition.
Coincidental to the Nec meeting, the group demanding Chihana’s head has also scheduled their party Nec, where the interim replacement of Chihana would be elected, awaiting a convention.
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