BREAKING | Peter Chanda Pulls Out of Tonse Alliance, Cites “Greed and Division”
In yet another blow to Zambia’s fractured opposition, New Congress Party (NCP) president Peter Chanda has officially withdrawn his party from the Tonse Alliance, citing betrayal of founding principles and deepening internal divisions since the death of former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu.
Speaking during a press briefing in Lusaka on Monday, Chanda said the Tonse Alliance, once envisioned as a platform for unity and collective leadership, had degenerated into “a theatre of ego and greed.”
“The Tonse Alliance has departed from the core values it was built on,” Chanda said. “Most members have put personal egos and greedy agendas before collective responsibility.”
He said the NCP, which he described as the special purpose vehicle personally appointed by the late President Lungu to carry the Tonse flag into the 2026 elections, could no longer continue working under what he called a “lawless and directionless coalition.”
“Today, anyone can wake up, call a press briefing, and issue statements in the name of the late President Lungu,” Chanda stated. “We refuse to be part of that disorder.”
Chanda announced that the NCP would now operate as a standalone party and embark on a national restructuring programme.
“We are pulling out to reorganize our structures across the country,” he said. “We shall hold consultations in all ten provinces before our general conference. After that, we will be open to working with any alliance that shares the vision of the late President Lungu.”
He, however, expressed gratitude to Acting PF President Given Lubinda and other alliance members “for the time we worked together,” urging calm among supporters during the transition
“We refuse to be drawn into politics of hatred and character assassination. Our call remains unity, peace, and love, One Zambia, One Nation,” he added.
Chanda’s exit marks the latest rupture in the already divided Tonse Alliance, following weeks of chaotic meetings, tribal accusations, and factionalism between the Lubinda–Nakacinda and Tembo–Mundubile camps.
The move exposes the alliance’s fragility, especially with PF still battling internal succession wars and no clear presidential candidate emerging to replace Edgar Lungu.
Recently, tensions reached a boiling point after PF cadres disrupted a meeting at Sean Tembo’s residence, and Nakacinda publicly admitted to tribal divisions within the opposition.
Chanda’s decision may embolden other smaller parties to chart their own path, signalling what could be the beginning of the end for Tonse as a unified political front ahead of the 2026 elections.
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