United Democratic Party (UDP) Acting Deputy Party Leader and Vice Chairman Mohammed Abikar has warned against attempts by Senator Edwin Sifuna and Governor George Natembeya to take control of the party outside its constitutional structures.
Abikar on Friday dismissed claims that Sifuna and Natembeya are set to take over UDP, saying the party officials elected at the 2022 National Delegates Conference remain the legitimate leadership.
”Rumours are circulating that Governor George Natembeya and Senator Edwin Sifuna are taking over the leadership of the United Democratic Party. Let me be clear, no such arrangement exists,” the UDP official noted in a statement.
He said the party leader’s position, left vacant following the death of founding leader Cyrus Jirongo, can only be filled through a National Delegates Conference.
The warning comes as Natembeya positions UDP as the vehicle for Sifuna’s 2027 presidential bid.
Abikar welcomed Sifuna, Natembeya and other politicians into UDP but warned them against what he called the “backdoor” and cautioned that any attempt to bypass the party constitution could trigger a legal battle and deepen divisions within UDP.
“Nobody will join UDP through the backdoor. Anyone who wants to join us must come through the front door.”
Last week, Governor Natembeya revealed that Senator Edwin Sifuna would decamp to UDP to become its party leader and use the outfit for his presidential bid next year
