Estranged Secretary General for the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Grezelder Jeffrey has described the election of former Minister of Agriculture Dr. George Chaponda as null and void.

Jeffrey wa Jeffrey said this in a statement made available to faceofmalawi.

According to the statement, Jeffrey wa Jeffrey claims that only 34 MPs out of over 70 DPP MPs attended the meeting which saw Chaponda being elected as Leader of opposition at PAGE house in the eastern district of Mangochi.

“On behalf of the party, I wish to declare that we do not recognize the election of Hon. Chaponda as the new Leader of Opposition that took place on 26th June 2022 at PAGE House in Mangochi.

“The incumbent Leader of Opposition Honourable Dr. Kondwani Nankhumwa, MP was duly elected by over two thirds of all DPP and independent Parliamentarians affiliated to the DPP in an election that was sanctioned by the Office of Speaker of the National Assembly unlike today’s meeting, which deliberately sidelined other MPs,” said Jeffrey wa Jeffrey.

She added: “It has been established that the meeting in Mangochi was attended by a minority number of Members of Parliament (MPs), both DPP and Independents, who were deliberately selected to participate in the election. For instance, only 34 MPs attended the meeting that nominated and confirmed Hon. Chaponda as the new Leader of Opposition. Many MPs were not invited. As a matter of fact, even myself, as Secretary General of the party, I was not invited and did not attend.

“It has also transpired that no actual election took place. Instead, one independent legislator simply proposed Hon. Chaponda’s name and few others confirmed and the meeting then adopted Hon. Chaponda as having been ‘elected.”

Meanwhile, Chaponda has urged all people who are against his election to leave the party.