HIGH COURT PETITIONED TO DISQUALIFY GARRY NKOMBO FROM 2026 ELECTIONS
BIZARRE and strange citizen named Isaac Mwanza, is seeking an order to force ECZ to remove more than 100 parliamentary candidates from the ballot ahead of the 2026 general elections.
The petition challenges the eligibility of several candidates contesting as independents, among them senior political figures including embattled former MP Garry Nkombo.
According to court documents, the petitioners argue that the affected candidates unlawfully filed nominations as independents while allegedly remaining members of political parties.
The petition cites Article 51(a) of the Constitution of Zambia, which the petitioners say bars any person from contesting as an independent candidate if they are still affiliated with a political party.
The applicants allege that some candidates continued publicly associating with their respective parties even after filing nomination papers with the ECZ, while others allegedly failed to provide proof that they had resigned from their parties before nominations.
The matter names more than 100 aspiring Members of Parliament, alongside the ECZ, the Attorney General, and officials from both the United Party for National Development and the Patriotic Front.
The petitioners want the High Court to nullify the nominations of the affected candidates and order the ECZ to remove their names from the ballot paper.
They argue that allowing individuals who are still affiliated with political parties to contest as independents would undermine constitutional provisions and compromise the integrity of the electoral process.
Among the reliefs being sought, the petitioners want the court to:
1. Declare the nominations unconstitutional.
2. Rule that party members cannot contest as independent candidates.
3. Cancel the nominations of the listed candidates.
4. Direct the ECZ to remove the affected candidates from the ballot paper.
The matter is expected to attract significant public and political attention as the country prepares for the 2026 general elections.