Tensions within the ruling party’s ranks spilled into the open in Parliament on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, after a CCM Member of Parliament from Zanzibar launched a sharp attack on a senior government leader whom he described as “Judas the betrayer” and “a burden.”

Simai Mohammed Said a Member of Parliament representing Zanzibar House of Representatives, made the remarks while contributing to the Ministry of Finance budget debate, during which he departed from the main topic to issue a political warning.

“What is Mama’s [the President] fault here? Is it because she trusted someone? It turns out he is Judas. This Judas has betrayed his own brothers; even the family that politically nurtured him does not want to see him. In the past, he was even described as a burden, but today this burden is within the government,” Simai warned.

Although he did not mention a specific individual by name, many observers have suggested that his remarks were directed at the Vice President, particularly because he appeared to reference the Vice President’s recent speech at the burial of the mother of former President John Pombe Magufuli.

“Today he goes around trying to convince us that President Magufuli loved him very much, this Judas. If he was truly loved, then why was he sent away, cast out to a foreign country?” Simai asked.

“Judas was thrown out there. We know those whom President Magufuli truly loved; when he loved someone, we could see it, and some of them are still here among us,” he continued.

On May 29, 2026, during the burial of the late President Magufuli’s mother, Vice President Emmanuel Nchimbi, recounted his relationship with the former president and explained how Magufuli had assured him that he would not ruin his future. 

READ: Will the Fate of CCM for 2030 be Decided on Magufuli’s Grave?

During the 2015 election, Emmanuel Nchimbi was among three CCM leaders who openly opposed the removal of Edward Lowassa from the race for the party’s presidential nomination.

At the funeral service on May 29, 2026, Nchimbi recalled that after the fallout he decided to retire from active politics. He  recounted how two people reached out to him: Stephen Wasira and the late President Magufuli.

“In 2015, when I announced that I would not run again for the parliamentary seat of Songea Urban constituency, two people called me on that very day. The first to call was my friend, the elder Stephen Masato Wasira. After that call ended, I received a call from the late John Pombe Magufuli, who was also my friend,” Nchimbi recounted.

“He [Magufuli] said, ‘I have not retired, and I am 10 years older than you. How can you be retiring?’ I told him that I had decided to retire. He then said, ‘Well, I have 10 positions for appointed Members of Parliament. I will give you one.’ I replied, ‘Sir, I want to retire,’ and we agreed on that.”

Nchimbi went on to explain that he was among the people who often had friendly arguments with President Magufuli, as the two sat next to each other in Parliament for many years. He concluded that part of his speech by recounting how Magufuli brought him back into public service through an ambassadorial appointment after a year away from politics.

“But I stayed without holding any leadership position for a whole year. One day, he [Magufuli] called me and said, ‘My friend, aren’t those retirement days over yet?’ I replied, ‘No, I have decided to retire.’ He said, ‘Alright then, thank you.’ The next day, I was announced as the Ambassador to Brazil,” Nchimbi recalled.

Nchimbi also reflected on the banter he shared with the former president as parliamentary neighbors and concluded by reading a text message he received from Magufuli after the appointment.

Nchimbi recounted the SMS exchange with President Magufuli:

“I kept that message and showed it to his family. I am sharing it because many people did not really know him well. This is what his message said: ‘God will help you. I cannot abandon you, my younger brother. I already made a promise to you, and I stand with you. It does not matter what happened in the past; the past is gone. You are still young, and I cannot ruin your future. I recognize the good work you have done for this country. Having different opinions and arguing with each other is not hostility. Greetings to your family.’”

READ: Emmanuel Nchimbi: Why His Selection as Samia’s 2025 Running Mate Matters

In his parliamentary remarks, which Simai described as the opening of a “Pandora’s box,” he called for an end to the use of Magufuli’s name for political purposes and urged fellow MPs to speak out.

“And let me also say that Judas has hurt many people. Some who were once in front are now on the back benches; some of our colleagues, businesspeople, and government officials who had promising political careers have been sidelined, affected, are now outside, and are suffering from stress,” Simai said.

“Yet we have started seeing Judas appearing in churches seeking sympathy from citizens and various people. But I want to tell my fellow honorable members of Parliament and the government present here: let us wake up, let us wake up,” he continued.

The remarks have sparked debate online, with many commentators arguing that the attacks on Nchimbi are linked to internal CCM rivalries and positioning ahead of the party’s expected succession battles and political ambitions for 2030.