Lungu is PF president

Defence and Justice Minister, Edgar Lungu, has been unanimously elected as PF party President and subsequently the ruling party’s Presidential candidate in the January 20 Presidential by elections.

Returning officer, Thuthwa Ngulube, declared Mr Lungu President at 17:30 hours after he went unopposed.

Provincial Committees from the ten provinces later formalised Mr Lungu’s adoption as PF’s Presidential candidate in January by elections.

Mr Lungu gracefully and humbly accepted his election and adoption.

And PF national chairperson, Inongwe Wina, hailed the peaceful process in which Mr Lungu has been chosen to succeed the late Mr Michael Sata.

Ms Wina said the decisions and actions of the PF national council that met earlier in the day and sanctioned the elections are binding on all party members.

She pointed out that people had suffered due to uncertainty and expressed happiness that the will of the people has prevailed at the conference and also in the country.

Ms Wina directed all PF members across the country to immediately start campaigning for Mr Lungu in the forthcoming presidential polls.

Mr Lungu was the only presidential aspirant present at the general conference and filed in nominations accompanied by over 200 supporters as required by the party constitution.

No reason was given for the other eight presidential hopefuls for failing to file in their nominations when they were called to do so by the Ngulubwe-led election commission.

Dr Christine Kaseba and Mr Selemani Pangula, who had earlier in the day separated visited the conference centre did not come back to participate in the elections.

Earlier, PF chairperson for elections, Sylvia Masebo, insisted that the elections were illegal.

Acting President, Guy Scot did not attend the general conference which he called to choose the party president.