Tanzania’s Presidential Hopeful Tundu Lissu Summoned By Police Over Campaign Remarks

Tanzania’s opposition chief Tundu Lissu has been summoned by police over remarks made during his presidential campaigns.

In a letter shared by the Chadema presidential candidate on his Twitter page, Lissu was directed to appear before the directorate of criminal investigations in Dar es Salaam today, October 2 at 9am without failure.

However, Lissu dismissed the summons saying he will continue with his campaigns as scheduled.

Lissu said he won’t honour the summons as the police have not specified his offence.

Read: Tundu Lissu Protests “Irregularities And Organized Sabotage” Of Tanzania’s Opposition Candidates On Nomination Day

“Wito wa polisi sio barua ya kirafiki, ni amri ya kisheria. Wito huo unatakiwa kueleza kosa la mtuhumiwa. Barua hii haielezi kosa ninaloitiwa na imepelekwa kwa Mwenyekiti wa chama. Huu sio wito wa polisi kwa mujibu wa sheria. Nitaendelea na ratiba yangu ya kikao na mabalozi kesho, ” he said.

Wito wa polisi sio barua ya kirafiki, ni amri ya kisheria. Wito huo unatakiwa kueleza kosa la mtuhumiwa. Barua hii haielezi kosa ninaloitiwa na imepelekwa kwa Mwenyekiti wa chama. Huu sio wito wa polisi kwa mujibu wa sheria. Nitaendelea na ratiba yangu ya kikao na mabalozi kesho. pic.twitter.com/qoD5tvcHAA

— Tundu Antiphas Lissu (@TunduALissu) October 1, 2020

This comes days after Lissu was summoned to appear before the National Electoral Commission’s ethics committee after he alleged that President John Magufuli had convened a meeting with district executive directors to discuss rigging October’s election.

Senior election official Wilson Mahere said the allegation was meant to paint a picture that the poll would not be conducted in a free and fair atmosphere.

Read Also: Tanzania’s Aviation Authority Cites Pilot’s ‘Advanced Age’ In Tundu Lissu’s Aborted Chopper Campaign

The registrar of political parties also wrote to Lissu’s Chadema party, saying his remarks posed a threat to national security.

The opposition leader, who is expected to give Magufuli a run for his money in the October 28 general elections, returned to Tanzania on July 27.

He had been living in Belgium and has undergone at least 20 surgeries after he survived an assassination attempt in September 2017.

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