UPND Accuse PF Of Bribing Mpulungu Parliamentary Candidate

The United Party for National Development has accused the Patriotic Front of attempting to bribe its candidate for Mpulungu constituency, Leonard Mbao, to the tune of $1 million. 

UPND spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa said that Presidential Affairs Minister Freedom Sikazwe had organised for the ruling party to bribe Mr Mbao to withdraw his candidacy in Mpulungu, where Mr Sikazwe is seeking re-election. 

Speaking at a press briefing in Choma, Mr Mweetwa said that the Patriotic Front was scared of losing the seat, after only holding on to it in 2016 by a margin of just 200 votes. He therefore accused Mr Sikazwe of offering his rival exorbitant amounts of money to ensure he stepped down.

“Let the PF and Mr. Freedom Sikazwe who is a former area lawmaker deny the fact that on Saturday, they offered the UPND Alliance Parliamentary candidate $1million to withdraw his candidature,” said Mweetwa. 

“Let old man Sikazwe deny the fact that two weeks ago, he threatened Mr. Mbao with unspecified harm should he not withdraw from the 2021 Parliamentary race. Let him deny this. Leave the candidate alone. The people of Mpulungu just like the rest of the country are annoyed with the PF and are ready to vote for a more responsive government”, he added.  

He advised the Patriotic Front to quietly pack up and accept defeat in Mpulungu, saying that Zambians had had enough of the PF’s poor performance.  

“Time has now come for the Marketeers you were chasing around for their small earnings every day to now chase you out of power. Time has come for the civil servants you continuously downtrodden to have their voices heard through a ballot. Keep that illicitly acquired money to yourself because the people of Zambia do not want to share in your curse,” Mr. Mweetwa said.