THE people of Petauke Central never wanted the candidate that the PF central committee gave them, that is why they asked me to stand as an independent candidate, says former PF Eastern Province youth chairman Emmanuel Jay Jay Banda.
In an interview, Banda who is Petauke Central independent aspiring member of parliament said the PF central committee went against President Edgar Lungu’s wishes by adopting unpopular candidates to contest the August general elections.
“No, I did not betray the PF. The central committee are the ones who betrayed me. That is why I have decided now to work for the President. Because the President was very clear to say you adopt someone who is on the ground. I as Emmanuel Jay Jay Banda, I am not a party member for PF. I resigned. I did not resign because I wasn’t adopted but because the central committee went against what the President said. So for me to protect the name of the President, I went independent. The President was very clear to say they will adopt someone popular but the central committee went against that,” Banda said.
Banda said he had been on the ground in Petauke Central and that the people wanted him to contest the seat.
“I am sure you have seen and I am sure it has been vindicated. You can see the councillors, those who were given adoptions for the PF, they have refused, they have come to me. They have said ‘no, no we know what is sellable here in Petauke [Central]’. So they have joined me,” he said.
“You the media are the ones who quoted him (President Lungu) first. He said that ‘you adopt what the people want’. So the Petauke people never wanted what the central committee gave them. That is why they asked me to stand as an independent, the Petauke people.”
On Tuesday, PF deputy national chairperson Davies Chama said former party members who have decided to stand as independent candidates after being left out of the adoption process have betrayed the party.
“This is betrayal because these people were saying that they were loyal members. If you have talked to them, most of them were pledging that they were loyal members. That is why you judge people by their words and actions, because what you say must reflect on what you do.
It is very unfortunate that people who were masquerading, of course people are frustrated because some people are so ambitious that if you are not picked, they think that they should be picked at all cost. There is only one position, I have always said that there is only one position at any particular time.
Our wish is that 10 people or 15 people can stand, but even if you were to say 15 people stand and you have received 30, you will pick 15 people, you can’t choose 30 people,” Chama said.