THE Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has directed that individuals aspiring to contest the presidency must present an adoption certificate signed by both the President and Secretary-General of the sponsoring political party, as reflected in the records of the Registrar of Societies.
In its latest schedule for the pre-processing of presidential supporters, the Commission stated that any letter signed by an individual whose name does not match the official records will result in the invalidation of the nomination papers.
The ECZ said it had reflected details as provided by the candidates, including the names of their sponsoring political parties.
It clarified that the schedule does not imply that the nominations have been validated by the Commission.
“Validation of nominations will be conducted by the Returning Officer from Monday, May 18 to Friday, May 22, 2026,” the Commission stated.
“Please note that during nominations, all aspiring candidates must present an adoption certificate to the Returning Officer. The adoption certificate must be signed by both the President and the Secretary-General of the sponsoring political party, as reflected in the records of the Registrar of Societies.”
The Commission further said presidential candidates who are not the official heads of their sponsoring parties must also produce a confirmation letter signed by both the President and Secretary-General, confirming that they have been sponsored by the party, in addition to the adoption certificate.
The schedule, which starts on Monday, May 11, 2026, is expected to see 26 presidential aspirants pre-process their supporters.
Among the new entrants are former minister Dr Brian Mushimba, standing on the Organised People’s Party ticket, and Dr Chitalu Chilufya on the Patriotic Front (PF) ticket.
(Mwebantu, Friday, 8th May, 2026)
