Former President of Zambia Edgar Chagwa Lungu has lambasted the Constitutional Court ruling blocking him from contesting again as President describing it a manipulated ruling.
Six ConCourt judges sat down, Tuesday, to deliver judgement headed by ConCourt President Hon. Justice Prof. Mulela Margaret Munalula.
In the ruling, the court said that former president Lungu is not eligible to contest the 2026 general election stating that, “Lungu’s first term of office constituted a term of office. The second term from 2016-2021. Lungu has therefore been twice elected and has twice held office. He is not eligible to stand in future elections.”
Reacting to the ruling Lungu said he has accepted the ruling and promised to come back with a plan B.
“You have heard for yourselves, the verdict has been issued, declaring that my eligibility to stand in the 2026 elections is nullified by the weight of the court’s decision. I accept this verdict. I accept it not with resignation but with resolve. This is because this verdict transcends the fate of Edgar Chagwa Lungu. It speaks to the erosion of judicial independence, the weakening of our democratic foundations, and the weaponisation of our institutions for short-term gain.
“But, my fellow countrymen and women, know this: from this blatant manipulation and disenfranchisement, a new resolve is born. Democracy, my fellow citizens, is not merely a system of governance but the lifeblood of our national identity. And therefore today, I declare that Plan B has been set in motion and Plan B shall legally fight to defeat and win for Zambians. Trust me, I in the spirit of democracy and Zambians shall win in and with Plan B!,” said Lungu.
He added: “This is not a retreat. It is not surrender. It is a recalibration of our efforts towards the sacred task of strengthening our democratic path. Plan B is rooted in the principle that democracy must prevail as a reality for every citizen of this land. Plan B is based on the enduring ideal that power must always reside with the people. Plan B will prove that no machination can extinguish the power of the Zambian people and that institutions must serve the public, not the ambitions of a few.
“Let me assure you, 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. We must show the world that Zambia’s democracy cannot be extinguished by a manipulated verdict. Zambians shall win and celebrate very soon, not few ruling elites through their proxies!”