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Tundu Lissu, Vice Chairman of the opposition party Chadema, has opened up about his unexpected decision to run for the party’s top leadership position, despite having previously ruled out the idea.
In an interview with a local media outlet, Lissu shared that his decision came after years of encouragement from party members and leaders, who believed his leadership was necessary for the party’s future. He also cited concerns about the direction of the party under the current chairman, Freeman Mbowe.
“I never planned to run for Chadema’s chairmanship,” Lissu said. “Right after the 2015 General Election, members and leaders began urging me to consider it. They said, ‘Honorable Lissu, if we keep going this way, we won’t get far. Please run for the chairmanship.’”
“At that time, I wasn’t even the Vice Chairman,” he explained. “I only became Vice Chairman in 2019, but these calls started much earlier. Back then, I was serving as a member of the Central Committee, the party’s legal counsel, and a Member of Parliament. I made it clear then—and many times after—that I wasn’t interested in becoming chairman.”
However, Lissu noted that recent developments within Chadema had forced him to rethink his position. He pointed to what he described as a shift in leadership style and priorities under Mbowe, especially since 2022.
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“Certain things have happened in the party, especially since 2022, that made me feel it was no longer possible to maintain my earlier stance of not contesting for the chairmanship,” he said.
Lissu also expressed concerns about Mbowe’s approach to key issues like constitutional reform. He claimed that Mbowe’s actions and statements following his release from detention showed a significant departure from the leadership style and values he had previously demonstrated.
“When Mbowe was released, he immediately met with President Samia, and from there, his stance on certain issues, like the push for a new constitution, started to shift. It became clear to me that things were changing in a way that required action,” Lissu said..
