Is Mayor Sampa Gearing Up to Challenge Lungu for 2021?

According to reports by the Watchdog, Lusaka Mayor Miles Sampa is gearing up to challenge President Edgar Lungu for the party leadership at the next PF convention. Reports claim that Sampa is backed by at least seven cabinet ministers, as well as many PF NEC members.

The group is allegedly seeking a ruling from the Constitutional Court blocking Lungu from standing for the presidency in 2021 on the basis that he has already been elected to office two times, which is the constitutional limit. 

The last PF convention took place in December 2014 following the death of incumbent President Michael Sata. The event took place in Kabwe and quickly became mired in controversy as many chose to stay away following reports of threats and intimidation. At the time a parallel extra-ordinary PF convention took place electing Sampa as the party president and candidate for the January 2015 polls ahead of Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba and former First Lady Christine Kaseba among others. President Lungu and Miles Sampa then had to fight their case in court to determine who was the legitimate candidate ahead of the polls.