By Staff Reporter
Citizens First ( CF) national mobilisation chairman Henry Chilombo has told Zambia We Want (ZWW) spokesperson Muhabi Lungu that party leader Harry Kalaba is fully occupied with the greater responsibility of preparing the party for a decisive victory in the 2026 general elections.
And national youth chairman Maxwell Chongu said the opposition political party leaders must watch Lungu closely saying he may just be a UPND surrogate they had been looking for all this while posing a threat to opposition unity ahead of 2026.
In response to Lungu’s recent challenge for a public debate with Kalaba, Chilombo said if Lungu wanted a debate, he could have it with him as the national mobilisation chairman.
“President Kalaba is fully occupied with the greater responsibility of preparing Citizens First for a decisive victory in the 2026 general elections,” Chilombo said.
He said Kalaba did not have time to be distracted by individuals whose political relevance was, at best, questionable.
“Let me say this straight to Mr. Lungu’s face: today, only President Kalaba and Citizens First have the real numbers on the ground. If Mr. Lungu even has a political party, it does not register in the minds of the Zambian people,” Chilombo said. “It is unprecedented that an armchair critic, a nonentity who is not presidential material and is not running for the presidency of our country, is calling for a debate with our President and CF flag bearer.”
Chilombo said debates were organised for contenders vying for the same office.
He said Lungu was not in the race for the presidency, and therefore, had no standing to demand a debate with Kalaba.
“The record speaks for itself. In just two years since its formation, Citizens First has participated in almost every by-election held across the country. In the majority of these contests, CF has finished either second or third outperforming older parties that have existed for decades. This is not theory; it is proof of the trust and momentum CF continues to earn nationwide,” he said.
He said Lungu was busy issuing empty challenges while CF was mobilising across provinces, touching the grassroots, and presenting a people’s agenda that resonated with ordinary Zambians.
Chilombo said Kalaba was organising for governance, not debates with individuals who could not show political numbers of their own.
“The message is simple: Kalaba leads, Citizens First grows, and the people know where the future lies,” said Chilombo.
And in a statement yesterday, Chongu stated that CF had noted with great concern a growing trend of continuos attacks on Kalaba orchestrated by Lungu driven by hatred, envy and jealous.
He stated that Kalaba and CF had exercised maximum restrain in responding to divisive attacks being driven by Lungu simply because they believed in fostering a national agenda anchored on unity of purpose among opposition political party leaders as demanded by majority Zambians ahead of 2026 general elections.
Chongu stated that Lungu should know that CF and Kalaba were not available for pettiness, divisive language or statements and any activity that posed as a threat to opposition unity.
He urged Lungu to reach a certain level of political maturity that would prioritise genuine unity among opposition political party leaders without any malice and doors would be opened for him to engage with CF and it’s leader.
“As a Party CF we find it strange to see a colleague in Opposition whose more focused in attacking fellow opposition political party leaders in public as opposed to attacking the ruling party,” stated Chongu. “It’s correct to say only a UPND surrogate pretending to be in opposition will be excited to call for a “DEBATE” with fellow opposition political party leaders so as to please his pay masters as opposed to debating with leaders from ruling Party.”
