Zambia's opposition is entering the 2026 general election without Edgar Lungu, the former president who for years united its largest parties and inspired much of its support. Lungu died in South Africa on June 5, 2025, leaving a significant leadership vacuum, particularly within the Patriotic Front (PF), the party he once led.

Lungu had initially been presented as the presidential candidate for the opposition coalition, Tonse Alliance, in the 2026 election. The Patriotic Front, now dismantled, had a faction that joined the Tonse Alliance in 2024. Since Lungu's death, opposition parties have been competing to inherit his political legacy while seeking to convince voters they remain a credible alternative to incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema's ruling United Party for National Development (UPND).

Political analyst Neo Simutanyi told Deutsche Welle that Lungu's absence exposes an unresolved leadership question within the opposition coalition. "He had a Plan B. He intended to back someone who would carry forward his political project, but he never had the opportunity to announce that person before he died," Simutanyi said.

Competing claims over who should lead the Tonse Alliance have emerged since Lungu's passing. Despite this, the "Edgar Lungu factor" remains influential, as candidates continue to campaign on his legacy, and many areas where he enjoyed strong support remain politically competitive. It is described as "effectively a PF campaign without the PF label."

Observers note that this election is expected to focus less on personalities and more on issues such as jobs, the cost of living, mining, electricity, roads, and prices of goods and services.

The situation in Zambia mirrors challenges seen in other countries, such as Zimbabwe, where opposition politics became increasingly fragmented following the death of Morgan Tsvangirai in 2018. Leadership transitions have tested the ability of parties to remain united and electorally competitive.

After losing power to Hichilema in the 2021 vote, Lungu returned to frontline politics and became the opposition's most influential leader until his death.

Sources