The former ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has dismissed social media reports that its President Peter Mutharika and his wife Gertrude have endorsed Dalitso Kabambe  and Bright Msaka respectively to take over from him as the party’s president.

According to a statement seen by this publication signed by the party spokesperson Shadric Namalomba who is also Mutharika’s publicist, the social media reports regarding the former president and his wife are not true.

According to Namalomba, no one has been endorsed by Mutharika nor the former first lady.

“All this is not true. His excellency, the president would like to advice all DPP followers and the general public that no one has been endorsed and or dumped by President and the former first lady,” said Namalomba.

Namalomba, stressed that Mutharika is a true democrat who believes in the constitution of the DPP “which provides for a free and fair election of leaders into various positions of the party at a convention held every five years.”

Namalomba then announced that the party’s next convention will take place in 2023 and will be “preceded by an announcement by the central executive committee of the party of the date of the convention and commencement of campaign for those duly eligible to stand for office.”