Former ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has made its position clear that it still enjoys massive support in the northern region of the country despite the defection of its governor Christopher Ngwira who has since joined the People’s Party (PP) of State President of the Republic of Malawi Mrs Joyce Banda.

Speaking during a recent news conference, Nick Masebo who is also Chitipa North member of the Malawi National Assembly has said that the defection of Ngwira has not affected the party membership because it is still intact because it has got many people on the ground rallying behind it.

“DPP is at it were despite the defection of Honourable Ngwira. Of course we cannot rule out one or two people, especially at constituency level, following him.

“People see DPP as the party that can rescue them from the problems they are facing now and most of them are regretting that they had a leader who, unfortunately, they hated because they did not understand him on what he stood for,” Masebo told the local Daily Times newspaper.

He further said that he has got no plans to defect to any party including the ruling People’s Party which is widely believed to have been targeting opposition legislators to join it ahead of the Presidential and Parliamentary elections in 2014.

The elections will also this time around see people voting for ward councillors. This will be the first time for Malawi to host tripartite elections.

Said he, “When they target me they should know that they have an uphill task, they have the highest mountain to climb.

“However, I would take such as an appreciation that I am value for the people.

“I have people who I represent and believe I am taking them in the right direction. Remember that I went to Parliament in 2004 under the (defunct) National Democratic Alliance ticket and I am the only one from the district to defend my position in 2009,” he was quoted as saying by the paper.

Soon after State President of the Republic of Malawi Mrs Joyce Banda assumed office following the sudden death of former President of the Republic of Malawi Professor Bingu wa Mutharika, a number of Members of the House from major opposition parties have defected to the peoples party.

Most of them claim that they have had blessings from their constituents to work with the government of the day but many a political analyst believes that they are just defecting to the DPP to fatten their wallets.

President Mrs Joyce Banda’s is expected to face a stiff competition from DPP’s Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika and Atupele Muluzi, son to former head of State of the Republic of Malawi Dr. Bakili Muluzi of the United Democratic Front during the 2014 elections.