PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema’s re-election prospects remain strong, largely due to economic reforms and successful transformation agenda which has started bearing fruits.
A recent analysis of Zambia’s current political terrain, President Hichilema, will retain power in the 2026 general elections with easy.
Economic fundamentals indicates that Zambia is recording significant economic growth, rebounding strongly from drought with projected GDP growth of 5-6% for 2025. This is driven by the recovering agriculture sector, increased mining output (copper), and growth in ICT and services. 
The Kwacha’s depreciation during the festive season driven by increased demand for foreign currency for imports. But recent trends show the local currency holding stronger due to factors associated to higher copper prices, improved investor confidence, and local production boosting supply, defying the usual seasonal trend.
It is from this background that a number of opposition political parties have realised that there is no candidate offering alternatives to President Hichilema ahead of the 2026 general elections.
Understandably, the economic reforms implemented over the past four years to stabilise the country after a decade of misrule by the former ruling Patriotic Front (PF) have left a quarter of the population frustrated.
However, with the exchange rate stabilising, foreign reserves growing at a record pace, a favourable rainy season so far, electricity stability, and fuel prices stabilising, the opposition will struggle to find fault.
With less than eight months before the 2026 general elections, the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) president Antonio Mwanza has charged that no single opposition party or candidate currently commands the numerical strength, national reach, or organisational capacity to dislodge the UPND.
DPP leader Antonio Mwanza says persistent fragmentation has weakened the opposition’s electoral competitiveness and steadily eroded public confidence in its ability to present a credible alternative government.
Mwanza’s comments come a week after Emmanuel Mwamba lamented that President Hichilema will win next year elections with easy.
The Zambia We Want (ZWW) secretary general Muhabi Lungu and several opposition political leaders have confessed that currently there is no visible opposition leader that can unseat President Hichilema.
Analysts say that it’s a fallacy and daydreaming for other politicians who are comforting themselves that if opposition political parties unite, they can unseat President Hichilema. The thought of opposition unit win is unachievable because it is not supported by any fundamentals.
One analyst has concluded that even if opposition figures such Brian Mundubile, Harry Kalaba, Fred M’membe, Kelvin Fube Bwalya – KBF, Miles Sampa , Given Lubinda, Binwell Mpundu, Emmanuel Mwamba, John Sangwa, Dolika Banda and Kasonde Mwenda were to unite behind a single candidate today, they could still not build the national presence and credibility required to unseat President Hichilema within the remaining few months.
The opposition is just hallucinating with no clear plan of how they want to transform this country.
Apart from being armchair critics on everything President Hichilema does, the opposition does not provide any alternative solutions.
In fact, the opposition alliances’ failure has largely been self-inflicted. This indicates opposition alliances have been undermined by dishonesty, lack of principles, and the absence of strategic clarity. They have no agenda whatsoever.
Analyst further say the opposition cannot defeat President Hichilema even if they field one presidential candidate in 2026.
The UPND’s remaining work is to explain to the people the challenges facing the citizens, among others, the high cost of living attributed to the dead economy under the PF.
