ECZ working to manipulate 2026 electoral results

– Nakacinda By NATION REPORTER

RAPHAEL Nakacinda the Patriotic Front (PF) secretary general has alleged that UPND’s machinery to rig the 2026 general election has been set into high gear by secretly conducting voter registration in their perceived stronghold.
Mr Nakacinda’s assertions come following reports that the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) had rolled out a plan to print more than 7.7 million voters cards.
Further, it is believed that the ECZ had been undertaking secret voter registration in the strongholds of the governing UPND to boost the numbers to counter the votes in areas the ruling party may not have the change of garnering the numbers.
Mr Nakacinda has accused the ECZ of having turned itself into a cadre branch of the UPND and had joined in their campaigns instead of playing the role of a neutral umpire.
“The machinery to rig the 2026 general election is in full force. ECZ is totally collaborating with UPND for the exercise of rigging. We are aware that the ECZ, which has been behaving as a branch of the UPND is working hard to ensure that the elections in 2026 should favour their political masters. But Zambians have realizes and shall not fold their arms and allow the UPND steal their vote,” Mr Nakacinda said.
Mr Nakacinda said the strategy was to counter PF strong holds but stated that the former governing party had a strategy to counter such maneuvers.
Mr Nakacinda said ECZ had not engaged stakeholders such as the Church, Civil Society Organisations and opposition political parties on the review of the electoral process they had undertaken.
“We demand to know the number of registered voters so far and where. Those being registered in their strongholds are the ones they want to use to rig the 2026 general election. But we have a plan in place,” he said.
Mr Nakacinda has since advised the entire board and management of ECZ to resign than risk being used as pawns.
“To save the face of ECZ, it will be in the best interest if the board and management to step down.