Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) vice president for the Eastern Region, Bright Msaka, has told National Governing Council (NGC) members, party supporters and sympathizers to stay away from the NGC meeting Secretary General (SG), Greselder Jeffrey, intends to conduct on Wednesday this week.

Jeffrey addressed journalists in Lilongwe last week that the DPP would be holding an NGC meeting on December 6, 2023, where the delegates would agree on the dates for the convention in line with the order by the High Court of Malawi that the party should hold an elective conference within 90 days.

She indicated that preparations for the meeting were at an advanced stage.

But at a separate press briefing Msaka held alongside Chimwemwe Chipungu, Charles Mhango, Mary Navicha and Shadric Namalomba at the same venue Jeffrey held hers last week, the DPP politburo distanced the party from the purported NGC meeting.

Msaka said Jeffrey did not have the blessings of the party to call for the meeting.

“I have been sent by our party leader, Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika, to inform our NGC members and supporters that there will be no NGC meeting on December 6. So, people should not waste their time and resources travelling to Lilongwe to attend the said NGC meeting,” he said.

In his contribution during the presser, Chipungu accused Jeffrey of receiving money from the party’s detractors to destroy the party.

He challenged that the SG will not succeed in dividing the DPP.

But in a separate interview, Jeffrey maintained that the party will go ahead with the NGC meeting, stressing that she is the only legitimate party official who can call for the NGC meeting.

On the other hand, DPP’s NGC member Ken Msonda branded the officials who addressed the media on Monday as a ‘fake Central Executive Committee’.

“Members of the parallel structure of the Central Executive Committee of the DPP (A FAKE CENTRAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE) are not holding a press briefing in Lilongwe. Those who have called for this press briefing are the one’s dividing the party. These are agents of MCP, they are being sponsored by the ruling party to divide the party. Let them leave the party and form their own party.

“Asatiwongere chipani chathu cha DPP, achoke akayambe chipani chawo. Anthu woipa amene amuzungulira Prof APM, misleading him. Some of them are interested presidential candidates, Namalomba is for Hon Joseph Mwanamveka as his presidential candidate and yet pamaso akumunamidza APM as if he Namalomba is supporting Prof APM. These are cowards,” said Msonda.