The Supreme Court of Zambia has barred former President Edgar Lungu from running for re-election in 2026.
The Supreme Court found that the 68-year-old legislator had already completed the maximum two terms allowed by law.
Lungu was first elected president in January 2015, serving the final 20 months of his predecessor’s term. President Michael Sata died in office in October 2014. Lungu contended that this should not count because he did not fulfil the entire five-year tenure.
However, the court disagreed, overturning previous orders that allowed him to run three years ago when he lost to Hakainde Hichilema.
“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 ruled.
Last month, the opposition Tonse Alliance chose Lungu to be its presidential candidate in the 2026 election, challenging President Hichilema.
Their pick of Lungu came a year after Zambia’s government revoked his retirement benefits and privileges following his decision to return to active politics.
Lungu began jogging in public with members of the public and his supporters as part of his efforts to resurrect his public profile, which the police described as “political activism.”.
In October, President Hichilema fired three top judges involved in the controversial verdict that enabled Lungu to run in the 2021 elections, infuriating Lungu loyalists.
At the time, the presidency supported the dismissals, claiming that Hichilema was bound by the Judicial Complaints Commission’s decision to remove the judges due to charges of judicial misconduct.
The former president said he accepted the Constitutional Court’s decision, which he said was not surprising given that it was guided by “the hands of political manipulation”.
“It speaks to the erosion of judicial independence, the weakening of our democratic foundations, and the weaponization of our institutions for short-term gain,” he posted 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.”
The government hailed the decision, which brings an end to a long-running court struggle.
“This decision provides legal clarity for citizens and safeguards our democracy, allowing us to look forward to free, fair, and competitive elections in 2026,” Attorney General Mulilo Kabesha said in a statement.
Following Sata’s death and Lungu’s first election, the constitution was modified to ensure that the vice president takes office immediately if the existing president dies.
