SOUTHERN Province minister Edify Hamukale says PF won’t risk losing elections by experimenting with unpopular candidates like Kelvin Fube Bwalya.
Better known as KBF, Bwalya is a prominent Lusaka lawyer who was instrumental in securing Edgar Lungu’s nomination as the PF’s presidential candidate following the death of party founder and then president Michael Sata in 2014.
He however fell out of the ruling party’s favour in April last year after declaring that he would stand for the PF presidency.
Bwalya had advised President Lungu that he had done his best but needed to step aside as party and national leader.
The party later expelled Bwalya, but he recently claimed that he was never served with a letter of expulsion, and thus remains a member of the PF.
But addressing the media in Choma yesterday, Dr Hamukale said next year’s general elections were not about experimenting with leadership.
“PF won’t risk losing elections by experimenting unpopular candidates like Kelvin Bwalya Fube. He may have a right to stand but the fact is that he is not popular on the ground such that even if he was to stand with any footballer, he can lose by early morning,” he said.
Dr Hamukale advised Bwalya to consider standing for parliament instead.
“We don’t want to experiment leadership. He is not known on the grassroots. We don’t have enough time to market another candidate now,” he said. “President Edgar Lungu is already popular. I’m a musician so I know what popularity means. If I was KBF I would stand for MP because that will take him closer to the people.”
Dr Hamukale said Bwalya must understand that Lusaka was not Zambia.
“When you are known in Marapodi or Chawama doesn’t mean that then you are known. He is not known in rural areas like Gwembe,” he said.
Dr Hamukale suggested that if Bwalya stood for parliamentary seat, he would stand a chance to be considered for a ministerial position.
“Let’s not hand over power to the opposition by putting KBF as presidential candidate. He can’t bring any uniqueness in the party because he doesn’t have that. If it is education, we all have it. He is not a celebrity. Let him put aside his presidential ambition to 2026,” he said.
Dr Hamukale pointed out that the opposition would be happy to have Bwalya as PF presidential candidate because he was beatable.
“It will be easy to win him. We can’t risk to float another candidate now. Look at the story of George Weah; he stood and lost because he was not educated but he went back to get education and now he is President. But for KBF he is not yet known. I have seen other people at parliament who are popular there and think can form a party,” he said.
He said Bwalya doesn’t have personal power that can help him win elections.
“He is too high there and smelling perfume,” said Dr Hamukale.