The Mandevu parliamentary by-election, called after the 13 August vote in the Lusaka constituency was declared inconclusive, looks set to end without a vote. The Zambian Observer reported on Thursday evening that the three candidates standing against the UPND's Adrian Banda had each written to the Electoral Commission of Zambia to withdraw, in separate letters dated Wednesday 28 October. News Diggers reported on Friday morning that the Forum for Democracy and Development's Daniel Chisenga, who carried the Tonse Alliance ticket, had pulled out citing threats, and that the other two candidates had reportedly also withdrawn, leaving Banda unopposed.
The four had filed nominations on 8 October: Banda for the UPND, Chisenga for the FDD, Daniel Daka as an independent, and a Leadership Movement candidate whose first name both outlets give as Ntazana (the Observer prints the surname Muntungwa, News Diggers Musukuma). According to the Observer, Chisenga's letter gave no reasons, Daka asked to be excluded from the election without saying why, and the Leadership Movement candidate cited financial constraints. News Diggers reports that Chisenga says the threats to his life began on nomination day and later escalated to his family. The Observer noted that Banda's election unopposed will depend on the applicable procedure and formal confirmation by the ECZ; neither outlet reported a declaration by the Commission.
A campaign of allegation and denial
The threats were not a new claim. On 15 October the Tonse Alliance's secretary-general, Muhabi Lungu, told a press briefing that Chisenga had faced constant threats from people identifying themselves as UPND since filing his nomination and had not slept at home for three nights, News Diggers reported. The UPND's deputy secretary-general, Getrude Imenda, replied the next day that the party was not aware of any threats, challenged the alliance to name those responsible, and said that opponents who felt weak should withdraw rather than use the UPND's name. On 20 October she attributed a run of opposition withdrawals from by-elections to a lack of logistical support from their own parties.
Our candidate has been under constant barrage from people who have identified themselves as UPND.
— Muhabi Lungu, Tonse Alliance secretary-general, at a press briefing in Lusaka on 15 October, as reported by News Diggers
Last week Lungu accused people in UPND regalia of disrupting the alliance's campaign in Mandevu, attacking members including Chisenga and abducting a woman, allegations News Diggers reported as unverified. Inspector-General of Police Graphel Musamba responded in a statement, reported by the paper on 24 October, that police would investigate every reported case of violence in the constituency, including the alleged attack on Chisenga, and had an electoral security plan in place for before, during and after the poll. No arrests had been reported by Thursday.
The third seat to go the same way
If the ECZ confirms the withdrawals, Mandevu will be the third contest on the 5 November slate decided without a vote. News Diggers reported on 20 October that the Commission had declared the UPND's Anderson Banda elected in the Lumezi parliamentary by-election (News Diggers calls the seat Lumezi North) after the NRPUP withdrew from all by-elections and the Leadership Movement's candidate resigned, and that the UPND's Felix Mulwanda would be declared Mayor of Mbala on 5 November after the Progressive Alliance Party's Pythias Sichitalwe pulled out. The Times of Zambia reported in September that the ECZ had set 5 November for the Mandevu and Lumezi parliamentary polls, the Mbala mayoralty and eleven ward seats, with nominations on 8 October and campaigning from 10 October to 18:00 on 4 November.
Mandevu itself is being re-run because of what happened on election night in August. The Zambian Observer recalled that the ECZ said the constituency's results-tallying centre was attacked, data transmission equipment destroyed and documents stolen, which it said rendered the process null and void. The constituency had been held by the UPND's Christopher Shakafuswa; Banda, who had entered as an independent, joined the UPND during its adoption process and was adopted ahead of Shakafuswa, the Observer says. Chisenga is a former Mayor of Lusaka.
Confirmed vs. alleged
Confirmed: That four candidates were nominated for Mandevu on 8 October and polling is set for 5 November (Times of Zambia; News Diggers). That Chisenga has withdrawn, in a letter to the ECZ dated 28 October, citing threats (News Diggers; the Zambian Observer reports the letter but says it gave no reasons). That Tonse alleged threats and attacks and the UPND denied knowledge of them (News Diggers, 16–24 October).
Alleged or unverified: That Daka and the Leadership Movement candidate have also withdrawn rests on the Zambian Observer's report of their letters; News Diggers says they have 'reportedly' withdrawn. The ECZ has not, in any report seen, declared Banda elected. Who made the threats Chisenga describes is not established; the police investigation announced last week has not reported.
Sources: News Diggers, “FDD candidate quits Mandevu race, citing death threats” (30 Oct 2026); Zambian Observer, “Three candidates pull out of Mandevu by-election, leaving Banda as sole contender” (29 Oct 2026); Zambian Observer, “UPND scoops Mandevu constituency by-election via withdraw method” (29 Oct 2026); News Diggers, “UPND threatening our Mandevu candidate to withdraw, claims Tonse” (16 Oct 2026); News Diggers, “UPND challenges Tonse to name those threatening their Mandevu candidate” (17 Oct 2026); News Diggers, “Withdrawal of candidates from elections due to lack of support, claims UPND” (20 Oct 2026); News Diggers, “Police vow to probe Mandevu violence against Tonse members” (24 Oct 2026); Times of Zambia, “ECZ sets Nov 5 for by-elections in Mandevu, others” (26 Sep 2026).