Mundubile Secures Mass MP Endorsement as PF Enters Convention Countdown

⬆️ NEWS NIGHT| Mundubile Secures Mass MP Endorsement as PF Enters Convention Countdown

The Patriotic Front has entered a decisive phase of its succession battle after twenty-nine PF members of parliament publicly endorsed Mporokoso MP Brian Mundubile as their preferred presidential candidate. The declaration, made at a press briefing in Lusaka this morning, signals the most organised show of internal strength the former ruling party has displayed since Edgar Lungu’s death left it without a leader five months ago.

The MPs presented Mundubile as the figure capable of stabilising the party, healing factional wounds and leading PF back to power in 2026. Their statement arrives at a moment when PF’s internal cohesion has been in question, with rival aspirants trading accusations and senior officials clashing over campaign legitimacy.

Leading the group, MP Emmanuel Tembo framed the endorsement as a return to discipline. He said Mundubile offers “vision, discipline and heart,” adding that the MPs believe he can restore public trust and reconnect the party with ordinary Zambians. Tembo argued that leadership in this moment requires a record of loyalty and calm rather than ambition and noise.

“Mundubile has proven that leadership is about service, not self-interest,” Tembo said. He described him as a stabilising force in a party that has endured months of uncertainty and internal jostling.

The group includes prominent figures such as Francis Kapyanga, Mulenga Fube, Jean Chisenga, Sydney Mushanga, Pavyuma Kalobo, Golden Mwila, Kalalwe Mukosa and Christopher Shakafuswa. Their alignment gives Mundubile a bloc of parliamentary backing unmatched by any other candidate so far.

The timing is strategic. PF’s elective conference is set for later this month. After years of legal battles, leadership disputes and public messaging drift, the convention is expected to decide not only a party president but the identity and direction of the party heading into the 2026 campaign cycle.

Tembo rejected suggestions that the MPs’ stance would worsen divisions. He insisted the endorsement is an effort to consolidate around a viable path to renewal. He urged other aspirants to run issue-based campaigns and to recognise that PF’s future depends on cooperation, not internal rivalry.

The move adds pressure on other contenders including Makebi Zulu, Given Lubinda, Miles Sampa, Willah Mudolo among others, who have been building their own regional networks and messaging lanes. Zulu, who returned from South Africa today after engagements with the Lungu family, must now recalibrate his strategy as parliamentary influence gathers around Mundubile.

PF enters the final stretch with energy, tension and calculation building across its structures. The green base is gearing up for a defining convention. The party’s factions will either consolidate around a single message or expose deeper fractures that could shape its viability in 2026.

Up next on BUILD-UP: A detailed preview of the PF convention, the internal power blocs at play, the influence of the Lungu orbit as Makebi Zulu lands from South Africa, and how factional alignments may determine the outcome before delegates even take their seats.

© The People’s Brief | Goran Handya, Gina Malundu