By JAMES KUNDA –

FORMER Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo has held talks with incarcerated United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema where the opposition leader indicated willingness to concede defeat in last year’s general elections and look to the future.
General Obasanjo visited Mr Hichilema at the Mukobeko Maximum Correctional Facility in Kabwe on Saturday and held a two hour meeting.
Meanwhile, President Lungu has challenged Mr Hichilema to avail any evidence to back his allegations of alleged rigging by the Patriotic Front (PF) in last year’s polls.
Gen Obasanjo said he saw a view and strong possibility that Mr Hichilema, who faces treason, would put last year’s elections behind him and move forward.
He said this at a Press briefing at State House in Lusaka on Saturday after a second meeting of the day with President Lungu.
Gen Obasanjo engaged the Head of State to report on his visit to Mr Hichilema at the Mukobeko Maximum Correctional Facility in Kabwe.
He said, despite President Lungu’s victory being ‘narrowing’, Mr Hichilema could move on and put the electoral defeat behind him.
Gen Obasanjo expressed displeasure at the Mongu incident in which the UPND leader’s motorcade allegedly blocked that of President Lungu on the way to Limulunga for the Kuomboka traditional ceremony of the Lozi people.
“I have looked at some of the videos regarding the presidential motorcade and that of the opposition leader; they are quite overboard and I think it should not be like that,” he said.
Gen Obasanjo thanked President Lungu for facilitating the visit to Mr Hichilema, with whom he held a discussion lasting two hours.
He said he told the opposition leader much on the need to uphold peace, unity and stability in the country, stressing a necessity for dialogue between with President Lungu.
“I get an impression from the opposition leader that 2016 is no longer an issue, but about what happens in the future and how can we do things better in future,” Gen Obasanjo said.
President Lungu told the South Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) in Lusaka on Saturday that the media should query Mr Hichilema on why he felt last year’s elections were not free and fair.
Mr Lungu was responding to questions from South African journalists that the political situation in the country was unstable.
He said all local and foreign observer missions that witnessed last year’s poll had declared the vote free and fair and recognised President Lungu as legitimately elected.
“He (Hichilema) has not accepted the results, but he has not told anyone why. We had SADC, COMESA AU, EU, Commonwealth, everyone who cared, came to see our elections and I won,” explained the Head of State.
He said Hichilema appealed his case in the Constitutional Court, but after failing to produce evidence, he claimed that the court did not hear him.
The President said he could only take Hichilema’s claims seriously if the UPND leader had convincing evidence of any electoral malpractice as his failure to accept the results was a waste of time.