PF Convention Standoff Deepens as Lubinda Faces Pressure from Within

 BUILD-UP | PF Convention Standoff Deepens as Lubinda Faces Pressure from Within

The Patriotic Front’s long-delayed convention has become the central fault line exposing deeper fractures inside the former ruling party.

What began as a legal and procedural dispute has now evolved into a multi-layered power struggle, with Given Lubinda’s faction facing growing pressure not only from the rival PF camp but also from within its own support base.

Speaking in Livingstone, Lubinda doubled down on his position that the party will proceed with a convention regardless of objections from PF president Robert Chabinga or documentation held at the Registrar of Societies. Framing the dispute as one between paperwork and popular legitimacy, Lubinda argued that political authority flows from members, not certificates.

“The Patriotic Front is not a certificate. The PF are the members, the ones who go to the convention. With or without a paper, the Patriotic Front is going to the convention,” Lubinda said.

He warned that attempts to block the process through legal or administrative channels would fail.

“The Patriotic Front is not in court, the PF is in the hearts of people. With or without Robert Chabinga’s threats, the PF is going to the convention… mark my word.”

Lubinda’s defiant tone comes at a moment when his bloc is under visible strain. While he presents himself as the custodian of the party’s grassroots, internal alignments within PF have shifted. Three distinct centres of influence are now competing for dominance: Lubinda’s camp, Brian Mundubile’s camp, and a separate bloc aligned to Makebi Zulu. Each claims legitimacy. None currently commands uncontested authority.

Lubinda sought to reposition PF’s relevance away from internal wrangles and toward public hardship, arguing that the real opposition is not institutional but social.

“The real opposition in Zambia is not even the PF. The real opposition are those who are going 22 hours without power. Those whose maize was delivered in March and have not been paid,” he said.

But that framing is being challenged from within. PF presidential aspirant Brian Mundubile has acknowledged the depth of the party’s crisis while placing responsibility squarely on the delayed convention. Speaking on KBN TV, Mundubile said the internal confusion would persist until a credible leadership process is concluded.

“What is creating the confusion is the delayed convention… Once the convention is held, a leader will be elected. Once a leader is elected, all this confusion will calm down.”

Mundubile’s remarks subtly but clearly shift pressure onto Lubinda, under whose watch the convention has repeatedly failed to materialise since it was due in 2022. While Mundubile describes divisions as “normal in politics,” he links their intensity to prolonged uncertainty over leadership legitimacy.

“Naturally, the contestation has raised some tensions as expected,” he said, adding that PF has “no choice” but to bring the process to an end.

The tension between the two camps sharpened further over the conduct of PF MPs during the passage of Constitution Amendment Bill No. 7. Mundubile confirmed that six MPs who had earlier endorsed his presidential bid voted in favour of the Bill, contrary
the party’s public position.

“They disappointed the whole nation, especially the people from their respective constituencies,” Mundubile said.

He expressed particular frustration given that PF had internally mobilised against the Bill, including setting up what he described as a “mini parliament” to coordinate opposition.

“They agreed with the Oasis Forum, they agreed with the Zambian people… I still remain very disappointed with that decision.”

The Bill 7 episode has further weakened PF’s claim to cohesion and reinforced doubts about its ability to act as a unified alternative government. It has also intensified competition within the Lubinda bloc itself, where loyalties are no longer singular. Mundubile commands support among sitting MPs. Makebi Zulu appeals to a constituency mobilised around the legacy of Edgar Lungu and grievance politics.

Lubinda retains historical authority but faces eroding control over process and timing.

Historically, PF has struggled with succession outside of state power. After Michael Sata’s death in 2014, the party survived internal conflict largely because it still controlled government. Today, out of power and facing legal uncertainty, similar fractures are proving harder to manage.

As pressure mounts, the convention has become both a solution and a risk. Holding it could restore procedural legitimacy. Failing to hold it risks further fragmentation. Proceeding without consensus could deepen splits.

For now, PF remains suspended between rhetoric and resolution, with each camp convinced that the next move will determine not just leadership, but survival.

© The People’s Brief | Ollus R. Ndomu