Zambia’s High Court has barred former President Edgar Lungu from seeking re-election in 2026.
The Constitutional Court ruled that the 68-year-old politician had already served the maximum two terms allowed by law.
Lungu was first elected president in January 2015 to serve out the remaining 20 months of his predecessor’s term. President Michael Sata died in October 2014 while in office.
Lungu had argued that this should not count as he did not serve a full five-year term. But the court disagreed and annulled previous rulings that had allowed him to stand as a candidate three years ago when he lost to Hakainde Hichilema.
“Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu has therefore been elected twice and held office twice [constitution] makes him ineligible to participate in future elections as a presidential candidate,” the court ruled.
Last month, Lungu was picked by the opposition Tonse Alliance party as the presidential candidate in the 2026 elections to challenge President Hichilema.
Their choice of Lungu came a year after the government of Zambia withdrew his pension benefits and privileges following his decision to return to active politics.
As part of efforts to revive his public profile, Lungu had joined the public and his supporters for jogging in public – what police termed ‘political activism’.
In a move that angered Lungu’s supporters in October, President Hichilema dismissed three top judges who had participated in the controversial ruling that allowed Lungu to run for the 2021 elections.
At the time, the presidency defended the dismissals, saying Hichilema was bound by the decision of the Judicial Complaints Commission, which had ruled that the judges should be dismissed following allegations of judicial misconduct.
Lungu said he accepted the Constitutional Court’s ruling, which he said came as a surprise because it was steered by “the hands of political manipulation.”
“It speaks to the erosion of the independence of the judiciary, the weakening of our democratic foundations and the weaponization of our institutions for short-term gain,” he posted on social media.
“I am not filled with bitterness, but with renewed determination, political hope and confidence that democracy, and not court politics, will certainly win in 2026, without a doubt.”
The government welcomed the ruling, which ends a long legal battle.
“This decision provides legal clarity for citizens and protects our democracy, allowing us to look forward to free, fair and competitive elections in 2026,” Attorney General Mulilo Kabesha said in a statement.
After Sata’s death and Lungu’s first election, the constitution was amended so that the vice president automatically takes office when a sitting president dies.
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