The Patriotic Front faction led by Miles Sampa has withdrawn from the presidential race ahead of the August 13, 2026 general election.
Speaking during a press briefing, Sampa announced that the faction would no longer field a presidential candidate but would continue participating in parliamentary and local government elections across the country.
The party had earlier paid the K100,000 presidential nomination fee and adopted former Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya as its presidential candidate.
The PF faction had also completed the Electoral Commission of Zambia’s presidential supporter pre-processing exercise in preparation for nominations.
Sampa said the decision followed extensive consultations within the party and careful consideration of the internal challenges the former ruling party has faced since losing power to the United Party for National Development in 2021.
“It is with great disappointment to inform you that the opposition Patriotic Front at presidential level will not be on the ballot, but on MP and other positions, we are filling in nominations,” Sampa said.
He explained that the party needed time to reorganize and resolve internal disputes before participating in another presidential election.
Sampa further maintained that he remains the legally recognized leader of the PF despite ongoing court battles surrounding the party’s leadership.
He added that the challenges facing the PF are similar to those experienced by many former ruling parties across the continent.
“We will continue pursuing matters that are currently in court until the party gets the justice it deserves,” he said.
