The Osabanjo, Lungu – Hichilema reconciliation mission

This is a report by Zambian Whistleblower on the former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo who was in Zambia:

Inside Obasanjo’s latest failed Zambian mission
Good evening.

We told you that Former Nigerian President General Olusegun Obasanjo was hardly the man for the mission to break the tension between President Hakainde Hichilema and his much harassed predecessor, Edgar Chagwa Lungu.

Well, General Obasanjo came, failed in his mission, and here is why.

His approach seemed to lack tact and opened with some pretty petty inquiry on whether it was true that at the inauguration ceremony for Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Lungu sat in the chair that should have been given to President Hichilema had he attended the ceremony.

Lungu’s answer was that Zimbabweans knew who is the current President of Zambia, since President Mnangagwa even attended his inauguration after the August 2021 elections. It was therefore not possible for him to impersonate the Zambian President.

What may have irked President Hichilema about the inauguration ceremony in Zimbabwe was simply that Edgar Lungu was given a noticeably resounding reception by those in attendance. But this had nothing to do with Mr Lungu as it was a spontaneous reaction by ordinary Zimbabweans.

General Obasanjo was also sent to ask former President Lungu why he has not been attending official state functions. His answer was that attending State functions would be a very awkward affair since he had noticed that President Hichilema used such functions as a platform for his continued partisan political attacks against the former ruling party, the Patriotic Front (PF), and branding all its leaders as thieves.

Mr Lungu further told Gen Obasanjo that he would have no problem attending future official state functions once he noticed an improvement in the etiquette of President Hichilema at these functions.

Gen Obasanjo, as emissary of President Hichilema, then offered to accompany Mr Lungu to meet the Zambian leader, so that the two of them could discuss matters, including the possiblity of reaching an understanding on the case against Mrs Esther Lungu. Gen Obasanjo said he would also be in a position to talk to the complainants in this case so that they could reconsider.

Mr Lungu’s response was that he preferred the cases to proceed as he had nothing to fear. In fact, one of the people the State was using to build that case was also an accused person in the matter.

The 6th President reminded Gen Obasanjo that there was no need to accompany him to see his successor because the President of Zambia had his phone number on which he can call him when needed and he would definitely pick his call.

Mr Lungu also challenged Gen Obasanjo to find video footage or audio recording in which Mr Hichilema, while in opposition, ever referred to him as President Lungu, or even recognised him as President. In contrast, he had recognised Mr Hichilema as President, and always referred to him as such.

Gen Obasanjo was also sent to ask Mr Lungu why his names still remained on the list of office bearers of the PF at the Registrar of Societies, if he had retired from active politics.

Mr Lungu responded that all Zambian political parties are required to hold conventions to elect their leaders, after which the new leaders’ names are submitted to the Registrar of Societies to be recorded as the office bearers.

Since losing power the PF has not had its elective convention to usher in new leaders, hence his name and those of other old leaders were still appearing as office bearers. He said that in any case, what the law says is that to receive the benefits of a retired President, he should not participate in active politics, not that he should not be a member of a political party.

Former President Lungu also addressed assertions by some sections of society that the reason he has not started operations of the Office of the 6th President was because of his interest in coming back to active politics.

He informed Gen Obasanjo that setting up the office of the former President was the responsibility of the State, through Cabinet Office, and that it was a further sign of the government’s reluctance in this area, that the motor vehicles that were bought for his office two years ago had not yet been allocated to him.

But what about the clandestine so-called comeback campaign dubbed ‘Alebwelelapo’?

Mr Lungu said this problem has been caused by President Hichilema who has appointed himself as his Chief Marketing Manager for this Alebwelelapo campaign by referring to it at every opportunity he gets, constantly asking ” alebwelelapo pesa, when ninjikalapo?” (He is coming back to which position, since I am not on the seat of power?)

Conclusion:

Clearly, at the end of his contact with former President Lungu, Gen Obasanjo must have gone back more disappointed by the apparent pettiness being exhibited by President Hichilema, rather than the alleged conduct of his predecessor being the cause of tensions in the country.

Zambian Whistleblower