The defection came two days after the Arusha Youth's Wing Chairman Mr James Ole Millya announced his defection and joined Chadema as well.Mr Mawazo, who was received yesterday in Dodoma by Chadema National Chairman, Mr Freeman Mbowe and other top party officials, said he defected from CCM after realizing that it is drifting astray.

"The bus that I have been travelling in for many years is no longer a good for me, and for this reason without any influence I today declare that I defect and officially join Chadema, the party which I believe is for real change," Mr Mawazo told reporters.

He said that it is no longer possible to safeguard public interests inside CCM and whoever claimed so was deceiving the public as the party was dominated with corrupt members and nothing was being done to rid it from such elements.

Mr Mawazo said that he had been planning to leave the party for a while now because he felt like he had been called by God to join the opposition party.He also noted that only clean members defect from CCM unlike assertions by CCM Youths' Wing Secretary General, Mr Martin Shigella that defecting members are bad elements who leave because the cleansing exercise has taken effect.

On his part, CHADEMA chairman Mr Freeman Mbowe said that the party has happily received the decision made by Mr Mawazo to join the party, saying that it was an indication that the party's popularity and acceptance is increasing.