Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Vice President for the South Kondwani Nankhumwa has come out of his cocoon to accuse some top officials in the party of being gossipers and character assassinators ahead of the forthcoming fresh Presidential polls.

Nankhumwa who is also Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development said this during the official launch of Shire Valley Irrigation Programme in Chikwawa on Wednesday.

According to Nankhumwa, some top officials are reportedly manipulating his photographs to portray him as being in the company of United Transformation Movement (UTM) officials.

“Unfortunately, such people are in the party [DPP] but there is no way I can join either MCP or UTM. They have even gone ahead to suggest that all my positions, including that of Leader of the House, will be taken away from me. However, when it shall please you to remove me as a minister, I will accept it because that is your prerogative.

“Let me warn these gossipers that when a lion is asleep, it does not mean that it is dead. Let us stop spreading these lies,” said Nankhumwa.

He added: “My message is that ahead of the election, I shall rise together with the President and, in the event that, God forbid, we don’t make it, fall together, pack up and go into farming.”

Meanwhile President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika has called for unity in the party ahead of the fresh Presidential polls.