Former Zambian President Edgar Lungu has accused President Hakainde Hichilema of colluding with the judiciary to prevent him from contesting the 2026 presidential election. The court ruled in 2021 that Lungu was eligible to run for president. Now, ahead of the 2026 vote, some Zambians have petitioned the court challenging his eligibility. In a nationwide speech Tuesday night, Lungu accused the petitioners of being surrogates of the ruling United Party for National Development (UNDP). Emmanuel Mwamba is the spokesperson of Zambia’s main opposition Patriotic Front Party