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Citizens First Candidate Ezekiel Kayumba Sues Electoral Commission Over Nomination Rejection

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Ezekiel Kayumba, the Citizens First party candidate for the upcoming Pambashe Constituency by-elections, has filed a lawsuit against the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), alleging that the rejection of his nomination paper was unjust, illegal, and invalid.

The petition filed with the Lusaka High Court alleges that procedural irregularities and poor administration by ECZ officials on the nomination day resulted in an unfair disqualification.

The Pambashe Constituency seat became vacant following the conviction of Patriotic Front MP Ronald Chitotela for arson in July 2024.

He was sentenced to 10 years in prison in December 2024, prompting the Speaker of the National Assembly to declare the seat vacant.

Subsequently, ECZ scheduled the by-election for February 6, 2025, with nominations set for January 7, 2025.

Kayumba contended that the ECZ failed to gazette both the original and amended nomination timetables, contravening Section 28(1)(b) and 28(2) of the Electoral Processes Act No. 35 of 2016.

He explained that after swapping his time slot with an independent candidate, he was not informed of a precise cut-off time.

Although he entered the nomination center at 15:40 hours, he was unable to complete the process within an ambiguous timeframe.

The petitioner argued that while the United Party for National Development (UPND) candidate was allowed to rectify their incomplete list of supporters beyond their allotted time, his efforts to submit all required documents were unfairly invalidated.

Kayumba alleged that after fulfilling all requirements, including submitting a certified 2021 voter’s card, an unknown individual influenced the Returning Officer to invalidate his nomination.

Kayumba asserted that the ECZ applied double standards, permitting other candidates to correct errors beyond their time slots while denying him the same opportunity.

He argued that the decision to invalidate his nomination paper was arbitrary and unfair.

Kayumba is urging the Lusaka High Court to nullify ECZ’s decision, mandate a new nomination process with a gazetted timetable, and award him costs for the suit.

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