Former Finance Minister Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane has urged NRPUP presidential candidate Brian Mundubile to accept defeat in Zambia’s presidential election and allow the country to concentrate on development. Musokotwane pointed to the significant difference in votes between Mundubile and President Hakainde Hichilema, arguing that the margin reflected a clear outcome that should now be accepted. President Hichilema secured 2,965,326 votes compared with Mundubile’s 1,856,217 votes, giving the incumbent a substantial lead of more than one million votes. Musokotwane’s remarks come as political debate continues over the election result and the future direction of the opposition. His appeal for the result to be accepted places the focus on political stability and the need for Zambia to continue addressing its development priorities.
According to Musokotwane, the size of the gap between President Hichilema and Mundubile should be an important consideration in determining how the opposition responds to the election outcome. He argued that Mundubile should concede defeat rather than prolong political uncertainty and allow the country to move forward. The former finance minister framed the issue around the broader interests of Zambia and the need for leaders to prioritise national development. Elections can produce strong disagreements between political parties, but the period after an election also requires institutions and political leaders to focus on governance and the needs of citizens. Musokotwane’s position therefore reflects a call for the political contest to give way to attention on economic and social priorities.
Musokotwane also attributed the NRPUP’s electoral loss partly to its campaign strategy, arguing that the party failed to campaign sufficiently in provinces where the UPND recorded its strongest support. His assessment suggests that the opposition needed a broader and more effective national campaign if it wanted to challenge the governing party successfully. Presidential elections require political parties to build support across different regions while communicating policies that appeal to voters with varied economic and social concerns. Failure to establish a strong presence in key areas can limit a party’s ability to convert national support into a competitive electoral result. The comments therefore point to campaigning, voter mobilisation and geographical reach as issues the NRPUP may need to examine following the election.
The reported election results show a substantial difference between the two leading presidential candidates. President Hichilema received 2,965,326 votes while Mundubile received 1,856,217 votes, leaving a difference of 1,109,109 votes. That margin gives Musokotwane a basis for arguing that the opposition should recognise the outcome and concentrate on its future political strategy. At the same time, the figures alone do not resolve questions raised by opposition parties about the administration of the election. Political parties can accept the numerical result while still raising concerns about the electoral process through established legal and institutional channels. The debate surrounding the election therefore involves both the final vote totals and broader questions about confidence in the electoral system.
The opposition has questioned President Hichilema’s victory, citing concerns about transparency in the manner in which the election was handled by the Electoral Commission of Zambia. Such concerns are significant because public confidence in an election depends not only on the final results but also on whether voters and political parties believe that the process was conducted fairly and transparently. Electoral institutions have an important responsibility to provide clear information and ensure that procedures are understood by contestants and the wider public. Where political parties raise objections, those concerns can be addressed through the mechanisms provided under electoral law. This allows disputes to be handled through formal processes rather than through prolonged political uncertainty or confrontation.
Mundubile has reportedly indicated that he intends to challenge the election, adding another dimension to the political situation following the announcement of the results. A legal challenge would provide an avenue for the opposition to present its concerns through the appropriate institutions and seek a determination based on the available evidence and applicable electoral rules. The decision to challenge an election is a serious political and legal step that requires the issues being raised to be clearly identified and supported through the relevant process. It also means that the dispute can move from political statements into a formal examination of the contested issues. Until any such process is concluded, political debate over the election is likely to remain an important issue in Zambia.
Musokotwane’s call for Mundubile to concede reflects a different approach to the post-election dispute. Rather than focusing on a prolonged contest over the outcome, he has emphasised the need for the country to return its attention to development. Zambia continues to face important economic and social priorities that require sustained government attention and cooperation among different stakeholders. Issues such as economic growth, investment, employment, public services and national development cannot be separated from the broader political environment. Political stability can help create conditions in which institutions, businesses and communities can focus on these priorities.
For the opposition, however, accepting defeat and challenging an election are not necessarily the same issue. A political party can recognise the numerical outcome while raising specific concerns about how the election was conducted, depending on the legal and constitutional processes available to it. The key issue is whether those concerns are pursued through lawful and transparent channels that can provide clarity to the public. This distinction is important because credible electoral systems need mechanisms through which contestants can question results when they believe irregularities occurred. At the same time, those mechanisms must operate within the established legal framework so that disputes do not undermine confidence in democratic institutions.
The election result will also have implications for the NRPUP as it considers its future political strategy. The party’s performance against the UPND provides an opportunity to assess its campaign organisation, communication strategy, regional support and ability to connect with voters. Musokotwane’s criticism of the party’s failure to campaign effectively in areas where the UPND performed strongly highlights the importance of building a truly national political structure. Opposition parties need to understand the reasons voters supported competing parties and identify areas where their policies or campaign messages failed to gain traction. Such an assessment could influence how the NRPUP prepares for future elections and engages with communities across Zambia.
President Hichilema’s second-term victory also places responsibility on the government to respond to the expectations of the voters who returned it to office. An electoral mandate provides an opportunity to continue implementing policies while addressing concerns raised by citizens during the campaign. The government will face pressure to demonstrate progress on economic development, investment, employment and public services during the new term. Opposition scrutiny will remain an important part of the political system, particularly as parties evaluate government performance and hold leaders accountable. The strength of Zambia’s democracy will depend on political competition being combined with respect for institutions, lawful processes and the interests of citizens.
Musokotwane’s appeal to Brian Mundubile ultimately highlights the tension between accepting an electoral outcome and pursuing concerns about the conduct of an election. The more than one million vote difference between President Hichilema and Mundubile provides a significant numerical margin, while the opposition’s concerns about transparency demonstrate that questions about the electoral process remain part of the political debate. Mundubile’s reported intention to challenge the election provides a formal route for those concerns to be examined, while Musokotwane is calling for the country to focus on development. As Zambia moves forward, the handling of the electoral dispute will be important for public confidence, political stability and the credibility of democratic institutions. Regardless of the outcome of any challenge, the country’s leaders and political parties will ultimately need to ensure that political competition does not overshadow the economic and development priorities facing Zambians.