Hichilema wins re-election in Zambia
Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema has secured re-election with approximately 61% of the vote, as the opposition alleged discrepancies between polling station results and collation figures.
Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema secured re-election on 18 August after winning approximately 61 percent of the vote in the 13 August presidential election, against closest challenger Brian Mundubile’s 38 percent. Hichilema, contesting under the ruling UPND, campaigned on his administration’s economic record, including debt restructuring agreements with international creditors, free secondary education that brought 2.3 million children back to classrooms, and expanded social protection programmes.
The opposition alleged discrepancies between polling station results and collation figures, and accused authorities of using security agencies to intimidate opponents. Authorities arrested 11 people during a raid on election night, claiming they were in possession of military-grade weapons. Mundubile had not announced whether he would formally challenge the result at the time of reporting.
The Nigerian stake is clear. Zambia’s election is a reminder that democratic transitions in Africa are often contested. The opposition’s allegations of irregularities are a concern, but Hichilema’s victory reflects the public’s support for his economic record. The debt restructuring agreements and free education programme appear to have resonated with voters.
From a Nigerian vantage point, the Zambian election is a model and a warning. The model: an incumbent winning re-election on the basis of his economic record. The warning: the opposition’s allegations of irregularities could undermine the credibility of the election.
This echoes the 2022 Kenyan election, which also saw the opposition challenge the results. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a contested election that tested the resilience of democratic institutions.
The winners: Hakainde Hichilema, who has secured a second term; and the Zambian people, who have expressed their will through the ballot box. The losers: the opposition, which must decide whether to challenge the result; and the Nigerian government, which must learn from Zambia’s experience.
Bottom Line: Hichilema has won re-election in Zambia. The opposition is alleging irregularities. The question is whether the courts will uphold the result or the challenge will succeed.