The Editor Zambia
Resolute Party (RP) president Martin Phiri has openly accused Brian Mundubile and Makebi Zulu of sidelining his party during the nomination process.
Dr. Phiri further disclosed that Makebi Zulu did not consult the RP’s executive committee on his decision to join Mundubile’s presidential ticket. 
Dr. Phiri is not happy that Mundubile and his running mate have abandoned earlier agreements, creating unnecessary conflicts among alliance partners.
The latest public fallout within the Tonse-Pamodzi Alliance has peeled back the carefully crafted image of unity that Mundubile and Makebi Zulu have sought to project throughout the campaign.
While the pair continue to stand shoulder to shoulder at rallies, wave to supporters, and speak the language of solidarity, events unfolding suggest a coalition increasingly characterised by mistrust, broken agreements and competing ambitions.
Dr. Phiri’s criticism has come not from political opponents but from within the alliance itself.
Such accusations are not complaints of outsiders but of a founding participant in the coalition who now feels excluded from decisions that affect the alliance’s future.
Dr. Phiri’s account paints the picture of a coalition whose internal decision-making is concentrated in the hands of a few individuals rather than guided by consultation and mutual respect.
According to him, the original understanding was that Makebi Zulu would contest the presidency using the RP as the alliance vehicle after legal uncertainties surrounding the Patriotic Front (PF).
Makebi Zulu reportedly paid the K100,000 nomination fee under that arrangement before abruptly emerging as Brian Mundubile’s running mate under the National Reconstruction Party for Unity and Progress (NRPUP).
Whether that strategic shift was politically necessary or not, the manner in which it was allegedly executed has become the real issue of disagreement.
Dr. Phiri says Makebi Zulu’s decision to join the Mundubile ticket was reached without his party’s participation and that he only learnt of the change on the eve of nominations.
Dr. Phiri’s claims expose a leadership style that appears to value political expediency over transparency and consensus.
The disagreements did not end with the presidential ticket but were extended to parliamentary nominations, where previous territorial allocations were allegedly ignored.
Instead of complementing one another, alliance partners reportedly found themselves sponsoring rival candidates in the same constituencies.
The result has been confusion among supporters, unnecessary competition between coalition partners, and dozens of constituencies left without alliance candidates altogether.
These are not the hallmarks of a disciplined political organisation preparing to govern a country but instead reveal an alliance struggling to govern itself.
Perhaps the most telling statement came from Dr. Phiri, when he declared that “a house that is divided cannot stand.”
His words capture the growing perception that beneath the public displays of friendship lies an alliance held together more by electoral convenience than genuine political cohesion.
This inevitably raises questions about the relationship between Brian Mundubile and Makebi Zulu themselves. Their joint appearances at campaign rallies have projected the image of two leaders speaking with one voice.
Yet the developments surrounding the RP suggest that important decisions are being made within a small inner circle while key partners are left feeling ignored.
Such circumstances naturally fuel speculation that the partnership between Mundubile and Makebi Zulu is itself more cosmetic than substantive.
Political alliances are ultimately tested not on the campaign stage but in the difficult moments when competing interests must be reconciled.
Strong partnerships survive because leaders are willing to accommodate allies, honour agreements, and resolve disputes before they spill into public view.
The Tonse-Pamodzi Alliance appears to be moving in the opposite direction, with internal disagreements increasingly becoming public spectacles.
Dr. Phiri’s observation that Makebi Zulu initially campaigned carrying the RP’s bag symbol before quietly abandoning it is symbolic of the broader concerns being expressed by his party.
It reflects the perception that earlier commitments have gradually been replaced by the dominance of one political formation at the expense of others.
For voters, these developments present an important consideration. Elections are not merely about campaign slogans or choreographed displays of unity.
They are also about assessing whether political leaders can build trust, manage partnerships, and keep the promises they make to those closest to them.
If alliance agreements cannot be honoured before an election, citizens are entitled to ask how future agreements would be managed in government.
As the campaign enters its decisive stages, the Tonse-Pamodzi Alliance faces a challenge that extends beyond winning votes. It must first convince the public that the unity displayed on campaign platforms reflects genuine political cohesion rather than a temporary arrangement held together by the pursuit of power.
Recent events suggest that this may be its most difficult campaign yet.
