FINAL EMV OPINION POLL ON TODAY, WEDNESDAY 4TH MARCH 2026
Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba Wrote;
The Emmanuel Mwamba Verified (EMV) Podcast has been running a 3-part series Opinion Poll.
The Poll is based on on-line voting and live phone calls sampling methods.
So far the polls have attracted a combined 50,000 online voters, and about 1,500 phone calls.
Further despite the isolated but strong criticism raised regarding the fairness and independence of the poll, callers, readers and viewers remain unperturbed and were fully engaged.
Seven Opposition presidential candidates out of a crowded field of 27 were picked.
One of the criteria used was their appearance on the EMV Podcast which provided an in depth assessment of how the audience responded to their thoughts on national development, their policy proposals to dramatically change the status quo and the various social-economic issues they raised.
Socialist Party (SP) President, Dr. Fred M’membe, Patriotic Front (PF) Acting President Given Lubinda, Zambia Must Prosper Party (ZMMP) Leader, Kelvin Fube Bwalya, Citizen First (CF) leader, Harry Kalaba, Movement for National Renewal (MNR), John Sangwa SC, Tonse Alliance (break-away) Leader and Mporokoso MP, Brian Mundubile and PF Presidential Aspirant, Makebi Zulu, were picked as part of the top 7 out of 27 presidential candidates.
Those picked constituted our view that a front runner would likely emerge from them to finally challenge the incumbent, President Hakainde Hichilema in the 2026 General Elections in August 2026.
The two polls so far held have seen Citizen First Leader, Harry Kalaba and Patriotic Front Presidential Aspirant, Makebi Zulu, emerge top winners sharing a poll each.
The third and last poll is designed to pick the winner of the two polls from the Opposition to be pitted against the incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema.
To enhance and strengthen the sampling methods, and continue to promote credibility, a third dimension, a social-media poll designed by Facebook was added and the polling is currently on-going.
FINAL POLL TO BE HELD ON WEDNESDAY 4TH MARCH 2026
A final poll will be held on Wednesday 4th March 2026 at 20:00hrs where members of the public will again be given an opportunity to vote live during the program.
We wish to express gratitude to all those that have participated in the poll. We are also excited that the process attracted huge numbers of both voters and listeners, viewers and readers, who took the poll seriously.
We also wish to thank those seeking public office that have honoured the invitation to appear on the EMV Podcast over the last one year and were gracious enough to respect our process and allowed the poll with their names to be subjected to public scrutiny and voting by the members of the public.
LESSONS
The poll has brought valuable lessons for both candidates and the people.
The polls also exposed cracks and fault-lines amongst many candidates’ campaign infrastructure while it also enhanced their visibility and strengths.
The UPND has the strongest and mobilised social-media users, campaigners and warriors.
This is a legacy benefit from the 2021 elections where it set up media centres and cyber warrior groups.
It has since enhanced these features.
Citizen First seemed to have developed a network of radio callers that support their work on community radio stations and social-media programs.
CF leader, Harry Kalaba’s countrywide tours over the years seemed to cultivated loyal followers that kept on calling on the program.
The polls exposed weaknesses and fault-lines of candidates’ teams and the poll results can be used to perfect their campaign infrastructure and response.
“PA GROUND”ARGUMENT
I remember in the run-up 2021 general elections when the PF strategists were challenged that the Party and its presidential candidate had a poor showing on social-media, there answer was always a proud; “Ama Politics nipa Ground”!
But they were proven wrong.
Following the August 2021 general election, which saw a peaceful transfer of power from the incumbent President Edgar Lungu to President Hakainde Hichilema, USA President Joe Biden highlighted Zambia as a global success story for democracy.
He praised the record turnout of young people to vote.
Biden noted that the Zambian youth turned out in record numbers to exercise their right to vote.
He stated that “democracy lives in the young people of Zambia” who harnessed their voting power to “denounce corruption and chart a new path for their country”.
The young people consume and access their news, information and express their opinions largely on social-media.
Further the rise of accessing money through digital financial services, has brought mobile phones to nearly every household across the country.
The phone has become the primary tool for mobile money transfers, which have become essential for paying bills, salaries, and loans.
Statistics show that a total of 16.40 million active cellular connections exist equivalent to 78.7% of the population.
Of this population 6.51 million internet users representing a penetration rate of 31.2%.
To dismiss social-media trends and events can prove fatal for political fortunes.
The phones and internent have also bridged the old gap between the urban and rural areas, the old and the young and the educated and the less literate.
In short you ignore social-media at own peril.
CONCLUSION
The Polls have revealed and seen a very strong showing of approval of UPND President Hakainde Hichilema, Citizen First President,Harry Kalaba, Tonse Alliance Leader Brian Mundubile and Patriotic Front presidential aspirant, Makebi Zulu.
How they use this information in their planning, preparations and strategy is upto them.
For Zambians, be assured that EMV will continue to bring you issues, in-depth analysis and special guests tha discuss matters that affect you and our country.
Join the final broadcast of the Poll on EMV at 20:00hrs