Miles Sampa Officially Withdraws from Patriotic Front Presidential Race

Announcing his decision on his Facebook page on Sunday, Miles Sampa said that while he believed he had the ability to lead the party to electoral victory, he was no longer prepared to impose himself on a reluctant leadership. "For the sake of unity of purpose, I choose not to participate," he wrote on this Facebook page.

Sampa's withdrawal came just a day after the Given Lubinda-led faction of the PF failed to convene its long-awaited party convention, with no public explanation offered for the collapse of proceedings.

His exit reduces the number of presidential contenders to seven, with Sampa joining former Secretary General Brian Mundubile and Mutotwe Kafwaya among those who have stepped aside. The remaining candidates vying for the party presidency are acting president Given Lubinda, Chishimba Kambwili, Greyford Monde, Chitalu Chilufya, Makebi Zulu, Chanda Katotobwe, and Joseph Willah Mudolo.

Sampa's decision marks the latest twist in his turbulent relationship with the Patriotic Front. Having previously claimed the party presidency in a disputed 2023 convention, he spent much of the following year locked in factional battles and legal disputes before reconciling with the Edgar Lungu camp in May 2025, handing back control of the party.

The withdrawal will raise further questions about the PF's ability to unite ahead of the 2026 general elections. The party has been plagued by internal divisions since losing power to President Hakainde Hichilema's UPND in 2021, with multiple factions and court battles undermining its effectiveness as an opposition force.