Two more CUF members will join CCM: Seif faction

        Dar es Salaam. The CUF faction aligned with the party’s secretary-general Seif Sharif Hamad said yesterday that two more CUF members would soon follow in the footsteps of Kinondoni MP Maulid Mtulia.

According to CUF deputy secretary-general in Zanzibar Nassor Ahmed Mazrui, two more members will follow Mr Mtulia by decamping from CUF to CCM soon.

“His resignation has not come as a surprise to us. We ask the two remaining Lupumba supporters in our party to leave in peace…Tanzanians should not be surprised, when they hear two more members leaving soon,” he stressed. Mr Mazuri was of the view that the three MPs in CUF were causing unnecessary havoc by deliberately siding with Prof Lipumba. “When you take care of a patient, who has been ill for a long time, you sometimes wish he could die so that you can also take a rest. We thank God for his departure,” he stressed. On Saturday, Mr Mtulia decamped to CCM, leaving commentators speculating about the course the country’s political terrain was taking. Meanwhile, the embattled CUF national chairman, Prof Ibrahim Lipumba, who is recognised by the Registrar of Political Parties, said Mr Mtulia’s decision to resign came as a surprise. Resigning from the party, which also meant that he was no longer the MP for Kinondoni, Mr Mtulia said his decision was personal and free from any influence. But according to Prof Lipumba, the ‘CUF executive committee’ will meet and discuss the Kinondoni MP’s decision to resign.

For his part, CUF youth wing (JuviCUF) chairman Hamidu Bobali condemned Mtulia’s decision to resign, saying he showed disrespect for the party. “He became popular because of CUF. Who thought that Mtulia could someday defeat Kambaya (Abdul). We all knew that Kambaya was more powerful, but with our support, he (Mtulia) emerged victorious in the election and went on to scoop the seat. He has disappointed us,” he said.

In his resignation letter, the Kinondoni MP revealed that his decision to leave the party for CCM was due to the experience he gained after serving CUF for two years. He hailed CCM for implementing its 2015 election manifesto by addressing various socioeconomic issues.

“I Have come to realise that CCM implements its promises well in accordance with its election manifesto. Most of the issues are the ones that we as political parties fought hard to address,” he said.