Namibia: Ekandjo Eyes Nomination for Swapo Vice President

26 November 2022

SWAPO member of parliament Jerry Ekandjo is expecting to be nominated for the party's vice president position at the congress, which is underway in Windhoek.

The Swapo congress kicked off on Friday and ends on Sunday.

Ekandjo's lawyer Richard Metcalfe told The Namibian on Friday that Ekandjo might be nominated from the floor.

"That is what is being mooted. We, however, have no idea if it is correct. But it would show that Swapo is a democratic party and not the tin pot political party the present putative intellectual giants have turned it into," Meltcafe told The Namibian.

Ekandjo was nominated for the position in September, but did not garner enough votes compared to defence minister Frans Kapofi and environment minister Pohamba Shifeta who he contested against.

Kapofi later withdrew from the race, leaving Shifeta, as the only male candidate contesting against prime minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila and her deputy Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.

After Kapofi's withdrawal, Ekandjo demanded to be added to the list, but this never materialised.

He later threatened to sue Swapo over his exclusion from the vice presidential race.

If allowed to stand on Saturday, this would his third time challenging for this position, after his unsuccessfully bids in 2012 and 2017.

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