The Tonse Alliance Council has announced that it will no longer recognize the Patriotic Front (PF) party but will instead embrace and work exclusively with the “Edgar Lungu PF Political Movement” following the prolonged leadership crisis in the former ruling party, which it says has made it impossible for the Alliance to function effectively. The Alliance also announced that it will hold its General Congress in January 2026 to elect a new Chairperson and 2026 Presidential Candidate, as well as other key elective positions. In the interim, Dr.
Danny Pule has been appointed as Caretaker Chairperson. These decisions were made during a virtual Council meeting held on Tuesday, January 7, 2026, convened to review, discuss, respond to, and resolve several constitutional amendments following a petition submitted by some Alliance members. The meeting, chaired by Pule in his capacity as Tonse Alliance Co-Chairperson, was attended virtually by leaders from Tonse Alliance political parties, civil society organizations, parliamentarians, and prominent citizens.
The Council of Leaders unanimously observed that the Alliance had been held to ransom, delayed in making progress, and rendered institutionally disorganized due to the persistent leadership crisis, court battles, factionalism, divisions, rivalry, and chaotic politics within the PF, which had been the anchor party for several months—particularly following the death of former President Edgar Lungu. Consequently, the Council resolved that the Alliance would henceforth only maintain the membership of the “ECL PF Political Movement” in line with the Alliance Constitution, as allegedly guided by late President Lungu himself. The Council further resolved to completely disassociate from anyone or anything linked to the PF party faction currently in court under Mafinga lawmaker Robert Chabinga.
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The Council stated that this decision was the only way the Alliance could honor ECL’s Plan B, his wishes, and political legacy, noting that President Lungu personally brought and left the “ECL PF Movement” to the Tonse Alliance after his party was “treacherously taken away from him.” “By definition, the Council approved that the ‘ECL PF Movement’ is a non-registered political pressure group consisting of all former and current PF Ministers, PSs, MPs, DCs, diplomats, council chairpersons, mayors, councillors, party officials, members and structures countrywide loyal to ECL himself as former President and his legacy outside the formal party aligned leadership in court with Chabinga,” reads the communiqué. The Council further agreed that PF Members of Parliament who openly opposed Bill 7 and refused to vote for it exemplified true members of the “ECL PF Movement”, as opposed to those who supported the Bill. The Council also reaffirmed that the greatest political crisis and paralysis faced by the Tonse Alliance since the death of President Lungu had been the failure to elect a legitimate Chairperson and 2026 Presidential Candidate.
“The Constitution has been amended in order to allow all Tonse Council of Leaders eligible and free to contest any position, including the Chairmanship, 2026 Presidential Candidacy and other electable positions,” Pule said in the communiqué. He explained that the Council collectively resolved that, since President Lungu—who was both the Constitutional Chairperson and 2026 Presidential Candidate—had died, the Alliance had abolished the exclusivity of associating the coalition’s Chairmanship and presidential candidature with him and the “ECL PF Movement.”
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