PF cadre Ibrahim Mwamba says acting party faction president Given Lubinda is a weak leader who has failed to hold the former ruling party together.
Mwamba said political battles continue to go against Lubinda while the party steadily loses relevance.
He warned that frustrated youths are ready to take over PF and Tonse if they fail to choose a substantive leader ahead of the 2026 general election.
“We need a mature and well-mannered leader capable of dismantling the UPND. Lubinda is a weak leader. Everywhere he goes, people are winning against him and stealing from him politically. We need to ask ourselves where he is going wrong as an organisation,” he said.
“You have failed us. If you have failed to choose a leader, just tell us so that we know whether to vote for UPND. If by the end of January there is no leader, we will take over,” Mwamba said.
Mwamba explained that PF’s prolonged failure to settle on a presidential candidate has also exposed deep-seated bad blood, tribalism and selfish interests within the party, leaving it disorganised and incapable of mounting any meaningful challenge to President Hakainde Hichilema.
He said the confusion within the party has been worsened by its removal from the Tonse Alliance, a development he described as shocking and embarrassing for a party that once governed the country.
According to Mwamba, the opposition has completely lost focus, spending more time fighting internal wars than addressing issues affecting ordinary citizens such as unemployment and the high cost of living.
He said PF lost power in 2021 and has since been weakened further by leadership wrangles and court battles, warning that the party risks total collapse if it continues on the same path.
He warned that if the opposition, particularly Tonse and PF, fail to produce a credible presidential candidate to challenge President Hakainde Hichilema, youths will take matters into their own hands.
He issued an ultimatum to the PF leadership, demanding that a leader be chosen by the end of January, failing which youths would move in to reclaim the party.
“PF is full of bad hearted people. Everyone wants to be a president. There is no way that can happen. Just unite and give us presidential candidate, we have no time,” stated Mwamba at a press briefing.
By Catherine Pule
Kalemba, January 8, 2026
