A fortnight ago, the leadership of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), through its national disciplinary committee summoned their vice-president for the South, Kondwani Nankhumwa, to a hearing for allegedly undermining the authority of the party’s leadership.

Apparently, this is the committee the party assembled during a recent controversial meeting of its National Governing Council (NGC).

Nankhumwa (R) with Mutharika

The summoning came after Nankhumwa had conducted whistle-stop tours within Blantyre allegedly without seeking the approval of the party’s president Arthur Peter Mutharika.

This was not the first time Nankhumwa was summoned by the party’s disciplinary committee, for sins that some of us fail to comprehend.

To ordinary onlookers like us, events in the blue camp tell us about a political party that has for a long-time been hunting and devising ways to boot out Nankhumwa from the ship.

This is why there is now no shame or caution being exercised as the party wants to execute this task. How baffling is it to see a senior person in DPP like Nankhumwa answering charges for addressing a political rally, where he also preached DPP messages?

Mind you, Nankhumwa also serves as vice-president for the Southern Region, a jurisdiction where the crime was allegedly committed. If this is not a joke of the century then tell me what it is.

And then you should hear how some DPP boys want Nankhumwa out of the office of the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament. We are pretty aware of how hard APM and his cronies have tried to remove the Mulanje Central legislator from that position before without any success.

How Nankhumwa, who was a darling to APM a few years ago, has become a sworn-rival to the old man is a mystery to most of us. Is it not laughable when the APM camp labels Nankhumwa as a failure when not long ago, the same APM, while serving as president of the nation entrusted the same person with the position of Leader of the House in Parliament?

It is not a secret that all this fighting against Nankhumwa emanates from APM’s desire to retire from retirement and lead the DPP again in 2025.

APM and his henchmen look at Nankhumwa as the main stumbling block going by the popularity that the youthful politician enjoys among the rank and file of the DPP. It is about removing competition ahead of the party’s elective conference, which will be held in a matter of months from now.

Of course, APM has held the whole DPP at ransom with his comeback bid. He says he is still thinking or, indeed, consulting, at the same time his crusaders are all over distributing materials with ‘Aimanso’ messages.

Was the meeting of the party’s NGC held at Nkopola Lodge the best forum for APM to make his position known? How about the follow-up meeting some DPP legislators begged to have at his PAGE House, why did he not let the cat out of the bag?

Instead of keeping on being “flattered” by ‘calls’ to stand again, APM should know that the episode of whether he will stand or not is no longer exciting. Let him be man enough and tell the party his stand.

Of course, without any iota of doubt, it is within his democratic right whether to stand or not, but no one should guarantee APM an open cheque on this matter. He should by now see the damage that the issue is bringing within the party.

When APM makes his position known, let him assure the rest of the candidates that he is ready to face them at a free and fair national convention.

Someone needs to tell the DPP the truth that what is happening within the party is not giving hope, and unless the party wakes up from its deep slumber, it should be prepared to remain in the opposition until the second coming of Jesus.

After all, the enemy who is destroying the once mighty DPP, is within the party itself.

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