Dar es Salaam. Lugaha Joelson Mpina, the ACT Wazalendo presidential candidate, has for the first time revealed why he left the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) to join the opposition party, just days after CCM’s Central Committee removed his name from the shortlist of parliamentary hopefuls.
Mpina, who had served as the Member of Parliament for Kisesa constituency in Simiyu Region since 2005, said his push for parliamentary accountability and his consistent advocacy for citizens’ issues cost him his place in CCM. He claimed the signs were evident long before, as he repeatedly pressed for ministers and senior government officials to be held accountable in Parliament.
He says despite facing challenges, including taking the government to court over misconduct by ministers and public officials, he remained loyal to CCM until recently, when constitutional changes within the party stripped grassroots members of their right to select parliamentary candidates.
According to Mpina, these changes were aimed at suppressing around 28 MPs who had been vocal on public issues during the 12th Parliament.
“I believe I’m being pushed out of Parliament to silence dissent and ensure that everything brought before Parliament passes without question—regardless of how harmful it might be to our nation,” Mpina said.
In the recently dissolved 12th Parliament, which officially ended in August 2025, Mpina was one of the most outspoken critics of President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration. His attitude led to a suspension from attending parliamentary sessions after the Ethics Committee found him of making misleading statements in the House.
Mpina, who once served as a minister under the late President John Magufuli before being dropped in 2020, said joining ACT Wazalendo was a deliberate and strategic decision. He praised the party for its role in offering alternative perspectives on national issues.
“I am fully convinced that ACT Wazalendo provides a strong and reliable platform to advance our generation’s liberation agenda,” he said.
He added that the honor of carrying ACT Wazalendo’s presidential flag was driven by his mission to push for economic, political, and governance reforms—principles he claims CCM has abandoned in favor of serving the interests of a small elite.
Mpina is expected to collect his presidential nomination forms from INEC on August 15, 2025. He has vowed that, if elected, he will waste no time in initiating reforms, including delivering a new constitution and addressing misconduct among public officials.
