POLICE in Dar es Salaam have arrested Amani Golugwa, the Mainland deputy secretary general for the leading opposition party, Chadema, alleging breaches of travel regulations.

The secretariat official was apprehended at the Julius Nyerere International Airport at around 6:45 p.m. on Monday while preparing to board a flight to the European Union headquarters in Brussels.

SACP Jumanne Muliro of the Dar es Salaam Special Police Zone said the arrest followed intelligence that Golugwa had been travelling in and out of the country without fulfilling legal requirements.

“The police, in collaboration with other security agencies, are conducting a detailed investigation,” the statement said, urging the public to remain calm and ignore misleading social media claims.

 As of Tuesday morning, no formal charges had been announced, and the party secretariat was yet to say a word on the new developments, meanwhile as it is preoccupied with persistent dissent within its ranks.

A wave of defections has been taken up by members critical of the party’s "No Reforms, No Election" stance ahead of the 2025 polls from which the party is now technically disqualified.

At a city press briefing yesterday, the women’s wing (Bawacha) condemned the wave of defections, saying their move was opportunistic.

Evangelina Michael, the wing’s Coastal Zone secretary, rejected claims that the party had abandoned its principles, saying these claims were vague and unsubstantiated.

“Those leaving are driven by pride and personal ambition. They couldn’t accept losing internal elections,” she said, citing her own support for Freeman Mbowe during the July 2025 internal polls as evidence of democratic space within the party.

Concerns raised by defectors had been addressed during the national aspirants’ meeting last month, she said, noting that many of the defectors had deliberately skipped the meeting.

Some defections could be part of a wider scheme to weaken opposition unity while giving the illusion of multiparty democracy, she said, underlining that this may be a project to make it appear like there’s political competition, while benefiting the ruling party.

She was emphatic in praising party chairman Tundu Lissu saying he is a principled leader. “Today’s opposition requires individuals with integrity and credibility. He may not be perfect, but he has proven himself—just like John Mnyika. These are leaders who don’t waste time on backdoor deals,” she declared.

Affirming her commitment to the party and appealing for honesty in party ranks, she emphasized that under the current political climate party members must be truthful to themselves as “brokerage politics will not move us forward.”

Party secretary general John Mnyika and central committee member Godbless Lema yesterday rallied support for electoral reforms, maintaining that the party will not participate in the 2025 elections without systemic changes. That includes a new constitution and an independent electoral commission, they reiterated.