NRPUP Withdraws From November 5 By-Elections Amid Leadership Fallout
BRIEFING | NRPUP Withdraws From November 5 By-Elections Amid Leadership Fallout
The National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRPUP) has notified the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) that it will not participate in the November 5 by-elections, according to a letter dated October 7 and shared by former Lusaka mayoral candidate Gabriel Kibombwe.
The letter, headed “Notice of Non-Participation in the November 5th By-Elections and Invalidation of Adoption Certificates”, lists the Mandevu and Lumezi North parliamentary contests, the Mbala mayoral election and several ward elections
“I am writing to formally notify the Electoral Commission of Zambia that our party will not participate in the upcoming by-elections scheduled for November 5th, 2026,” the letter states.
The announcement follows a turbulent period for NRPUP, the party on whose ticket Brian Mundubile contested the August presidential election under the Tonse Alliance before losing to President Hakainde Hichilema.
Mundubile and his running mate, Makebi Zulu, were subsequently charged with treason alongside 16 others over allegations arising from the post-election period, which remain subject to legal proceedings.
Since then, NRPUP president and newly elected MP Ezra Tembo has asserted control over the party’s affairs and distanced its leadership from Mundubile and the Tonse Alliance, including over the submission of proportional representation nominees.
The party has a substantial parliamentary presence, with its MPs drawn from several constituencies historically associated with the former ruling Patriotic Front. Tembo has also signalled a willingness to cooperate with the ruling UPND, marking a shift from the political alignment under which Mundubile contested the election.
On October 1, Tembo said NRPUP was consulting on participation in the by-elections because of their cost, although he expressed particular interest in the Lumezi North contest.
Kibombwe, who recently withdrew his petition challenging the election of Lusaka Mayor Chitambala Mwewa, shared the latest letter alongside a Facebook message emphasising the importance of strategic thinking and planning in politics.
The full reasons for the withdrawal, its implications for previously adopted candidates and whether it extends to future by-elections remain unclear.
The People’s Brief | Hora Hanene
October 8, 2026