Paramount Chief Ngolongoliwa personally asked Malawi Vice President Salous Chilima to stand in 2019 claiming President Peter Mutharika was becoming an embarrassment to the Lhomwe people, Chilima has claimed.
Speaking at Mgowi primary school ground where UTM held a rally in the Lhomwe belt, Saulos Chilima said claims made by National Chairperson Noel Masangwi that Chief Ngolongoliwa asked the vice president to stand because Malawians were dissatisfied with Mutharika and his leadership were indeed true.
The chief is said to have schemed a plan to forward Chilima as a presidential candidate in the 2019 tripartite elections.
Claimed Masangwi: ”In fact, it was Chief Ngolongoliwa who recruited us to persuade Chilima to stand in 2019. Chief Ngongoliwa was convinced beyond reasonable doubt that President Peter Mutharika was failing to the extent that he was becoming an embarrassment to the Lhomwe people”.
According to Masangwi, Paramount Chief Ngongoliwa invited him to the chief’s residence where he was joined by Mulanje West legislator Patricia Kaliati and business magnet Leston Mulli, who also serves as chairperson for the Mulhako wa Alhomwe cultural grouping.
After being recruited by the chief, the “Three Musketeers” were tasked to meet and persuade Chilima to stand as a presidential candidate.
Chilima is said to have only accepted the proposal following a set of personal meetings with the Lhomwe paramount chief.
In his speech, Chilima concurred with Masangwi, saying “should DPP continue to dispel this, I will be forced to reveal the rest of the details”.
Mulli is said to have jumped ships after being palm-oiled with K3 billion by the ruling DPP.
Ngolongoliwa has shoot down the allegations as baseless.
