The “Hybrid” Illusion: Why the PF Leadership Left by ECL Remains Supreme
By Joe Mwambu, Political Activist & Analyst
Following Miles Sampa’s presser today, the fog of political theater is finally lifting to reveal a stark truth: the leadership structure left by Edgar Chagwa Lungu (ECL) is not just a legacy—it is the only legally anchored reality within the Patriotic Front.
The recent gathering, marketed as a “hybrid” or virtual convention, was a prototype of political desperation rather than a constitutional process. Under the PF Party Constitution, leadership transitions require strict adherence to established protocols.
The Injunction Factor: The Kabwe High Court injunction issued in January 2026 remains a massive legal roadblock. Any gathering held in defiance of a standing court order is not a “convention”—it is a legal liability
A “Sham” Outcome: You cannot claim to elect a leader (like the recent declaration of Makebi Zulu) through a process that bypasses the authentic General Council and the established structures of the party.
The legal heat currently being directed at Given Lubinda regarding this “convention” is fundamentally flawed.
The Power of Presence: It is telling that Lubinda did not grace the announcement of this so-called “victor.
” _As the saying goes, you cannot hand over the keys to a house that was never yours to give_ . “
Legal Insulation: If the convention itself has no legal standing, the outcomes—and the charges associated with them—are built on sand.
Lubinda remains the Acting President of the authentic PF faction precisely because the “hybrid” event failed to meet the threshold of a legitimate handover.
Miles Sampa’s briefing confirms what many of us have analyzed for months: the attempt to circumvent the leadership left by ECL has failed.
The leadership dispute involving various factions (including the Chabinga and Sampa factions) has only served to highlight that the PF Pamodzi Alliance and the core structures of the party cannot be hijacked by “pop-up” virtual conferences.
It is now clear that the PF is not a digital experiment. It is a registered political entity with a constitution that does not recognize “prototypes.”
Until a convention is held that respects the Kabwe High Court’s standing and the party’s own internal laws, the leadership established by Edgar Chagwa Lungu remains the only legitimate custodian of the party’s soul.