UPND CAN’T DECIDE WHO CHALLENGES PRESIDENT HH – KAMPYONGO
…Warns against ‘Manipulated’ 2026 elections.
Lusaka – Monday, 6 April 2026 (Smart Eagles)
Former Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo has charged that the UPND will not be allowed to decide who will compete against President Hakainde Hichilema in the general elections.
Hon. Kampyongo said this either through their proxies at the Electoral Commission of Zambia or elsewhere.
He said that right-minded people will ensure that the democracy Zambians have chosen for themselves determines who contests for the presidency and other positions.
Hon Kampyongo was reacting to sentiments that there are manoeuvres to introduce regulations that would bar popular opposition candidates from contesting the presidential elections.
Meanwhile, Hon. Kampyongo who is also Tonse Alliance Chairperson for Parliamentary Affairs is concerned that the ruling UPND party has been engaging in lawlessness by ignoring its own rules.
This follows the drama surrounding its general assembly, the alleged expiration of the mandate of its office bearers and the alleged sudden takeover of the party by a member named Patrick Tembo Banda as Acting President.
Hon Kampyongo said it is dangerous to allow people who cannot respect their own rules to lead the nation.
He has reminded the UPND that destroying PF cannot benefit anyone but only creates room for lawlessness.
He said this should not be happening in the ruling party, as it should lead by example.
“We will wait and see how the courts handle this UPND issue. We do not want to celebrate the way they celebrated the Miles Sampa convention issue; we want to see order.
Listening to [Charles ] Longwe [who sued the party over expired mandates] during an appearance on private TV stations, it is worrisome that the ruling party should be the first to engage in lawlessness. The fear is that if you have a ruling party engaging in such lawlessness, what can stop them from ignoring the Republican Constitution?
They might end up extending their stay in office even if their mandate ends on August 13. The issues being raised by those citizens who belong to the UPND must not be ignored because they have implications for how the country is managed,” he said.