Independent presidential candidate James Nyondo has claimed that President Bingu wa Mutharika sent a cabinet envoy to persuade him withdraw from the 19 May elections for the top job to enhance Mutharika's chances of winning.
Nyondo has made the claims in a media statement following a report in the daily Nation Newspaper of 22 April where the government has said it is investigating the Chitipa-born politician for allegedly diverting financial and material donations meant for church work towards his presidential campaign.
"The chain of events that has lead to this started early this year when a very senior cabinet minister called me and asked for an appointment saying he had been sent by the ruling party to talk to me. We met at a restaurant in Lilongwe where he told me that he had been asked to request me to withdraw my candidature because according to their research they had found out that I was going to get a lot of votes from amongst the young generation and that would cause both of us to lose the elections and give a chance to someone else," Nyondo explained.
The independent presidential hopeful who pointed out that he was making the revelation because his "hand has been forced" said government offered a position of Prime Minister to him if he withdrew from the race.
"They offered to create a position of a Prime minister for me in exchange for my withdrawal. I want this on record. I cannot disclose the name of the person due to my personal respect for him," said Nyondo a trained lawyer.
"I turned down the offer because it is the very reason I am running – to stop the deals-for-positions syndrome instead of appointing people on merit. Besides, we all know that the President of the party does not keep his words," said Nyondo.
The new crop of Malawi politician further said the same offer was repeated by a businessman who is a senior member of the ruling party and is also a very senior diplomat.
Nyondo has categorically denied that he is using church money for political campaign.
"According to the Minister of Home Affairs, my crime is that I was washing cars in USA and came back with millions and that, according to him, he cannot allow that to happen. Working hard and earning money is crime – that is according to his statement in today's Nation Newspaper.
"Let me say that I was not washing cars, but if I were, I would proudly accept it. And should I run out of funds, I am prepared to go to start washing cars if that is what it will take for me to stay in the race," reads Nyondo's statement.
However, the independent presidential hopeful said following the public statements by the state, donations to him "are now flowing in at a higher rate, both internationally, on the internet as well as through local sponsors. My phone is ringing off the hook with people asking how they can help."
Malawi security forces on Good Friday arrested and deported Nyondo's American friend, Micah Harris. Police conducted an illegal search of his computers where they obtained information relating to the candidate's campaign and finances.
"You will recall that I mentioned at that time that the state's main interest was to access any data that was linked to me so they can look into my campaign strategy, my finances, my donors and anything relating to my campaign.
"At first they denied it in the media, but as we all know, now, the ruling party has been all over the country this past week, denouncing my character and saying specifically that I have run out of money. We all know who has been leading that onslaught," said Nyondo.
The politician said he is the only presidential candidate who has been forthcoming in as far as disclosing campaign sponsorship is concerned.
"The ruling party has spent millions of Kwacha's on campaign materials and vehicles but they will never tell you where they got their money. The opposition parties have all remained quite on campaign financing. But somehow, James Nyondo, has to be the only one to disclose his sources," he pointed out.
Nyondo said ruling DPP is acting in desperation because his campaign has taken them by surprise and that they have discovered that they have lost what they used to call their base in the Centre and the North and that the South is does not belong to anyone, anymore.
"Go to Ntchisi, Karonga, Kasungu, Mangochi, Nsanje, everyone is eager to see James Nyondo. People are calling me from everywhere, asking me to visit their district. People are ready to switch to a new generation of leadership," he said.
"It is because of this reason that the state is operating under extreme political influence to make sure that they stop my campaign. They will try to cripple me using any means necessary.
"They are now using the police to arrest my supporters everywhere under false charges just to scare them off. Over 30 people have been arrested in Zomba, alone, with two more arrested yesterday just because they attended my rally two weeks ago. They are accusing the duo of disturbing peace by way of reckless driving on my convoy on the day of the rally - they had to wait two weeks to arrest them," the statement said.
Nyondo confidently said DPP government will soon discover that they cannot stop his campaign.
"They then will try to arrest me on tramped up charges. I have already been reliably informed that they intend to arrest me by May 1, this year. I am ready for that.
"But after all is said and done, here is one simple fact: My campaign started slowly, but we have now achieved the necessary momentum to see us through May 19. Come May 20, by the Grace of God, I will be the President of this Country. The word is out, and there is nothing anyone can do to stop it," said Nyondo.
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