🇿🇲 EXCLUSIVE | Mundubile Officially Enters Presidential Race as ECZ Clears Tonse-Backed Ticket
Zambia’s increasingly fluid opposition landscape took another decisive turn on Tuesday after the Electoral Commission of Zambia formally cleared Brian Mundubile and his running mate Makebi Zulu to contest the August 13, 2026 presidential election under the National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity.
The acceptance of the nomination papers by ECZ Chairperson Mwangala Zaloumis marks a significant moment in an election season already defined by opposition fragmentation, shifting alliances, and courtroom political battles.
“I have determined that you have been validly nominated as a presidential candidate for the forthcoming 2026 presidential election,” Zaloumis declared, confirming that the nominations satisfied the constitutional and regulatory requirements under Article 100 of the Constitution and Regulation 11 of the Electoral Process Regulations.
The nomination immediately elevates Mundubile from opposition alliance figure to officially recognised presidential contender, placing him directly into a crowded national race expected to feature more than 20 candidates. It also formalises the political partnership between Mundubile and Makebi Zulu, a lawyer whose profile has risen sharply following months of high-stakes legal and political confrontations surrounding the unburied body of former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu.
The symbolism surrounding the ticket is difficult to ignore.
Mundubile enters the race as one of the most recognisable parliamentary figures from the former ruling establishment, while Zulu brings legal visibility, courtroom aggression, and growing influence within opposition mobilisation circles.
Together, the pair now become part of a wider opposition attempt to reorganise itself against the electoral machinery of the ruling United Party for National Development.
But the challenge ahead remains formidable.
The opposition enters the election cycle fractured across multiple alliances and presidential ambitions, while President Hakainde Hichilema retains strong dominance in traditional UPND bases across Southern, Western, North-Western and parts of Central provinces.
Political analysts are increasingly watching whether opposition formations can consolidate enough support across the northern corridor, Lusaka, Copperbelt, and Eastern Province to mount a nationally competitive challenge.
ECZ also used the occasion to outline strict electoral procedures ahead of polling day. Zaloumis reminded candidates that they are required to appoint election agents across constituencies and polling stations nationwide, signalling the beginning of a more operational and ground-intensive phase of the campaign.
The formal clearance of the Mundubile-Zulu ticket now shifts the contest from speculation to active electoral combat.
The ballot is taking shape. The alliances are hardening. And Zambia’s 2026 race is entering its most consequential phase yet.
© The People’s Brief | Goran Handya; Ollus R. Ndomu