Zambia’s ex-President Lungu barred from seeking re-election
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Zambia’s Constitutional Court has ruled that former President Edgar Lungu is ineligible to run for re-election in 2026, effectively barring him from participating in the race. The court concluded that Lungu had already served the maximum two terms permitted under the country’s constitution, despite his arguments to the contrary.
Lungu, 68, first became president in January 2015 after the death of his predecessor, President Michael Sata, in October 2014. Lungu assumed office to finish Sata’s remaining 20 months. He was elected for a full five-year term in 2016, and later re-elected in 2021, before losing to the current president, Hakainde Hichilema.
Lungu had argued that his first term in office should not count toward the two-term limit because it was not a full five years. However, the Constitutional Court disagreed, siding with the legal interpretation that his first term counted as a full presidential term. The court reversed earlier decisions that had allowed Lungu to stand for re-election in 2021. The ruling made it clear that Lungu had already served two full terms, making him ineligible to run again. “Mr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu has therefore been twice elected and has twice held office. The [constitution] makes him ineligible to participate in any future elections as a presidential candidate,” the court stated.
The decision came after Lungu had been selected as the presidential candidate for the opposition Tonse Alliance for the 2026 election. This choice occurred despite the fact that the Zambian government had withdrawn his retirement benefits and privileges in the previous year, following his return to active politics. In an effort to revive his public image, Lungu had even been seen jogging publicly alongside supporters, a move that the police deemed “political activism.”
The ruling also follows a period of rising tensions between Lungu’s supporters and the current administration. In October, President Hichilema dismissed three top judges who had been involved in the controversial ruling that had previously allowed Lungu to run in the 2021 election. The government justified the dismissals, citing a Judicial Complaints Commission decision that had found the judges guilty of misconduct. This decision was highly criticized by Lungu’s supporters, who viewed it as politically motivated.
Reacting to the court’s ruling, Lungu expressed his discontent, claiming that the decision was influenced by “political manipulation.” He criticized the erosion of judicial independence in Zambia and warned that the country’s democratic foundations were weakening. Despite his disappointment, Lungu expressed hope for the future. “It speaks to the erosion of judicial independence, the weakening of our democratic foundations, and the weaponisation of our institutions for short-term gain,” he wrote on social media. “I am filled not with bitterness but with renewed determination, political hope, and faith that democracy, not court politics, shall certainly win in 2026 without any doubt.”
On the other hand, the Zambian government welcomed the court’s ruling. Attorney General Mulilo Kabesha issued a statement saying that the decision “provides legal clarity for citizens and safeguards our democracy.” He added that it would allow the country to look forward to free, fair, and competitive elections in 2026, without the distraction of Lungu’s eligibility.
The legal battle over Lungu’s eligibility had been ongoing for several years. After President Sata’s death in 2014, the Zambian constitution was amended to ensure that the vice president automatically ascends to the presidency in the event of the president’s death, a change that clarified the rules for succession in the country. The constitutional amendment further complicated the question of Lungu’s eligibility to run again, especially given the circumstances surrounding his assumption of office in 2015.
This ruling marks the end of a lengthy and contentious legal struggle regarding Lungu’s political future. It ensures that the 2026 election will proceed without him as a candidate, allowing for a more open contest. While Lungu and his supporters may feel aggrieved by the court’s decision, the government sees it as a victory for legal clarity and democratic integrity. The focus now shifts to the upcoming 2026 elections, with Hichilema and other political figures preparing for the next phase of Zambia’s political landscape.
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