PF body claims Makebi Zulu validly elected as president after reportedly resolving petition disputes

Frank Ngambi, the Patriotic Front (PF) Chairperson for Elections loyal to Makebi Zulu says the party’s Independent Electoral Commission has resolved the dispute surrounding the General Conference that elected Zulu as party president.

Ngambi said several candidates — Chitalu Chilufya, Given Lubinda, Chishimba Kambwili and Greyford Monde — had disputed the results and filed a joint petition alleging malpractice in the conduct of the election.

He said only Chanda Katotobwe did not formally object to the outcome.

In a statement issued in Lusaka on Thursday by Emmanuel Mwamba, PF Chairperson for Information and Publicity, Ngambi said the Electoral Commission collected all serialized ballots and prescribed Gen 20 forms from across the country, subjecting them to verification and a fresh tally.

“Following the dispute, the Electoral Commission team collected all the serialized ballots cast and the Gen 20 that was prescribed from across the country and the documents were subjected to verification and fresh tallying,” he said.

Ngambi said the aggrieved parties also pursued additional complaints related to alleged malpractice.

He said the Electoral Commission concluded that the initially announced results “matched exactly with the documents received” and that the process met the criteria and controls set by the party’s Independent Electoral Commission.

“It is no longer in dispute that Hon. Makebi Zulu was validly elected as President of the Party,” Ngambi said, adding that petitioners had been informed and documents were available for inspection.

The PF, then under acting party president Given Lubinda, held its General Conference on March 21, 2026, where Zulu emerged winner of the closely contested race.

The developments come amid broader leadership disputes in the PF, particularly involving Miles Sampa, who was recently declared authentic party president by the Lusaka High Court.

The High Court confirmed Sampa as the legitimate PF president, dismissing a petition by Brian Mundubile and seven others seeking to overturn his election.

Judge Conceptor Chinyama ruled that the applicants failed to prove illegality in the extraordinary general conference held on October 24, 2023, and that Sampa acted within his rights to convene the meeting at a time when the party lacked a functioning central committee.

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