KBF SET TO TAKE OVER PF PRESIDENCY
Prominent Lusaka Lawyer and PF Presidential elections front runner Mr Kelvin Fube Bwalya has emerged as a clear favorite to take the stewardship of the ruling Patriotic Front at the forth coming Patriotic Front General Conference set for July this year.
Mr Bwalya is said to be leading in an independent poll conducted recently by a wide margin. The poll which included the the incumbent, President Edgar Lungu, Chitalu Chilufya, Stephen Kapyongo, Geoffrey Mwamba and Bwalya Ngandu also looked at who is most likely to win the 2021 Presidential elections if pitted against the UPND Presidential candidate. The results gave KBF clear run away victory as a favorite amongst members of PF.
The poll which was conducted by an American elections and monitoring body specializing in election strategy and campaign management called Voter Survey Institute (VSI) went across the country and interviewed PF members mostly from the structures right through to member of parliament and members of the central committee. According to the respondents at all levels gave Mr Bwalya the thumbs up in understanding the economy, messaging and vision, clarity in delivering a winning message, ability to communicate and resonate with the electorate and being the most credible amongst the candidates. KBF polled 67,4% of the respondents saying he is their preferred PF candidate to win at the general conference and for 2021.
Coming distant second to KBF was the incumbent President Edgar Lungu who polled 11.4% and Dr Chitalu Chilufya and Bwalya Ngandu sharing the third position after polling 6% each. In forth position is Stephen Kapyongo who polled 4% with the former defense minister Mr Geoffrey Mwamba and the Patriotic Front Secretary General coming in as least preferred with 2% and 1.2% respectively. The sampling for the poll was targeted at PF officials and their surrogates who willingly gave out information as they saw them within the party.
Mr Kelvin Fube Bwalya announced his candidature for the party and Republican Presidency in April 2019 and has since his announcement attracted a lot of interest in the Zambian political scene. Many believe he has the stamina to take on any political opponent in 2021 having been the mastermind and strategist behind the election of both President Lungu and his predecessor and PF founder father the late Mr Micheal Chilufya Sata (MHSRIEP). Mr Bwalya has also authored the best selling books Zambia must prosper in which he has outlined Zambia’s rapid transformation into prosperity.
Meanwhile, sources in PF who spoke on condition of anonymity say a great deal of senior Members of the party’s highest organ, the Central Committee, have all agreed to throw their support behind KBF at the next PF convention. The source who spoke to VSI behind the opinion poll, said “the party needs a serious person to save it from possible defeat. That person is KBF because ECL is the weak link currently and it will be difficult to market” him.
KBF known in the political circles as an elections strategist is not new to Zambian politics as he has played major roles in ensuring the the election of both Micheal Chilufya Sata MHSRIEP and Edgar Chagwa Lungu. He successfully implemented and managed the PVS for the Patrotic Front which was used in Zambia for the first time in 2011. -Zambia Eagle