GEOFFREY Bwalya Mwamba says he expects Eastern Province to give President Edgar Lungu massive votes in next year’s elections.
Speaking when President Lungu met headmen in Chipata, Bwalya said the traditional leaders should not think that all the other nine provinces do not need a president from their regions.
“Mamfumu munamwayi maningi, muganiza ati ma province onse nine sibafuna President? Tifuna President (headmen, you are lucky, you think all the nine provinces do not want a President? We want a President). Now we are Northern, Luapula, Muchinga and Chipata, we are one people. Now it’s like you people of Chipata do not love Lungu. You should now go and know what to do. Here, let me tell you, where the President comes from, that’s where we expect a lot of votes. Now Edgar Lungu gets few votes then massive votes come from Northern Province kansi tizamtenga azayenda ku Northern Province azankhala President Bwalya. Can we get him?” Bwalya jokingly asked.
President Lungu was first elected to the presidency in January 2015, holding office till August 2016 when he stood again and is serving till the next elections in 2021.
According to the Constitution, any individual who has held office of president twice cannot be allowed a third time.
But Mwamba urged people in Eastern, Northern, Luapula, Muchinga and even the Copperbelt to give President Lungu massive votes.
“We want in the next election, this province to lead because that’s where the President comes from. Did you see how we voted for [Michael] Sata? Didn’t Muchinga give Sata a lot of votes? Didn’t Northern give Sata a lot of votes? That’s how we should live. You are lucky here as Eastern Province but us as Northern Province, we like President Lungu,” he said.
Mwamba said he requested to accompany President Lungu on his six-day visit to Eastern Province to urge his traditional cousins to stop playing with politics.
“Let’s stop playing with politics, let’s stop playing with votes. Let’s give our child massive votes. You are campaign managers for Edgar Lungu. This time we don’t want Northern Province to be number one and Chipata (Eastern Province) to be number two,” Mwamba said.
He urged headmen to register as voters so that they take part in voting.
Mwamba said some provinces had surpassed Eastern Province in voter registration.
He urged headmen to encourage people to register and vote for their child (Lungu).