Tonse Alliance candidate secures presidential nomination with Makebi Zulu at his side after dramatic opposition ticket switch
Tonse Alliance presidential candidate Brian Mundubile has successfully filed his presidential nomination for Zambia’s August 13 general election under the National Revolution Party United Party (NRPUP) ticket after a dramatic fallout with the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) threatened to derail his participation in the race just days before nominations.
The successful filing marked one of the biggest late opposition developments ahead of the election and immediately shifted attention toward the fragile but increasingly strategic relationship between Mundubile and Makebi Zulu, who appeared alongside him during the nomination process in a powerful display of opposition regrouping.
The development followed days of confusion and tension inside opposition alliance structures after earlier plans for Mundubile to contest under the FDD banner collapsed amid disagreements involving party leadership, adoption control and alliance direction.
The abrupt separation exposed the volatility inside Zambia’s opposition camp, where coalition politics, legal positioning and access to recognised electoral platforms have become central survival issues ahead of the election.
Mundubile, the longtime Mporokoso lawmaker and former PF government chief whip under late former President Edgar Lungu, had initially been positioned to use the FDD platform as Tonse Alliance’s electoral vehicle. The arrangement was viewed as part of a broader opposition strategy to consolidate fragmented anti-UPND forces under a legally recognised structure capable of surviving nomination scrutiny.
However, the relationship deteriorated sharply in recent days, forcing Tonse Alliance to secure an alternative route onto the ballot through NRPUP.
The late switch created uncertainty across opposition circles, with some supporters fearing Mundubile could face a nomination crisis similar to previous disputes that have affected smaller coalition parties in Zambia’s political history.
Instead, the successful filing under NRPUP now gives Mundubile a clear legal platform heading into the official campaign period.
The presence of Makebi Zulu during the filing added even greater political significance to the event.
Only months ago, the two camps appeared headed toward direct confrontation after Tonse Alliance figures floated proposals suggesting Makebi Zulu could become Mundubile’s running mate under a broader opposition arrangement.
At the time, Makebi publicly distanced himself from aspects of those discussions, while divisions inside PF-aligned structures appeared to deepen following Edgar Lungu’s death and the subsequent struggle over opposition leadership succession.
The latest appearance together therefore signals a major political recalculation.
Rather than continuing parallel opposition battles, the Tonse Alliance and PF-Pamodzi structures now appear increasingly focused on strategic cooperation in an effort to prevent further fragmentation ahead of the August election.
For Mundubile, the alliance carries both political opportunity and risk.
The lawyer and accountant remains one of the most experienced PF-era politicians still active at national level. He served as Northern Province minister before later becoming PF government chief whip during Edgar Lungu’s administration, placing him among the most recognisable parliamentary figures from the former ruling party.
Supporters inside Tonse view him as a bridge figure capable of holding together different strands of the opposition while presenting a more measured image compared to some of the more confrontational voices within former PF structures.
Critics, however, continue questioning whether Tonse Alliance possesses sufficient nationwide organisational machinery to seriously challenge the UPND in a presidential contest dominated by financing, mobilisation structures and incumbency advantages.
Makebi Zulu brings a different form of influence into the arrangement.
The constitutional lawyer and former Malambo lawmaker built significant visibility through legal battles linked to Edgar Lungu, constitutional disputes and later the emotionally charged court processes surrounding the former president’s burial arrangements in South Africa.
Over the past year, Makebi transformed from legal adviser into a frontline political figure with growing influence among sections of PF supporters who viewed him as one of Lungu’s strongest defenders during the final stages of his political and legal battles.
That visibility now gives the Mundubile alliance additional energy among opposition supporters still emotionally tied to the late former president’s political legacy.
The latest alignment also reflects the increasingly urgent calculations taking place across opposition camps as the election approaches.
Several opposition formations continue competing for relevance, including:
- Tonse Alliance
- PF-Pamodzi Alliance
- Citizens First
- Socialist Party-backed alliances
- smaller regional coalition movements
At the same time, President Hakainde Hichilema and the UPND enter the campaign from a position of incumbency, state visibility and improving macroeconomic indicators that government officials have increasingly highlighted in recent months.
That reality has intensified pressure on opposition figures to avoid splitting support bases unnecessarily.
The late ticket change from FDD to NRPUP therefore does more than resolve a nomination problem.
It exposes the unstable nature of coalition politics inside the opposition while simultaneously showing the determination among anti-UPND groupings to remain electorally relevant despite internal disputes.
Politically, the successful filing also allows Tonse Alliance to move away from days of damaging speculation surrounding whether Mundubile would even appear on the ballot.
Instead, the focus now shifts toward whether the opposition can transform symbolic unity appearances into a functioning nationwide campaign structure capable of matching UPND mobilisation ahead of August 13.
For now, Mundubile’s successful filing under the NRPUP banner has bought the opposition breathing space and temporarily stabilised one of the most uncertain nomination battles heading into Zambia’s election season.
