THE Miles Sampa-led faction of the Patriotic Front said it will not field a presidential candidate in the 2026 general election, choosing instead to focus on rebuilding the party.

At a media briefing Monday night, Sampa said the decision was meant to strengthen internal structures and restore the party’s long-term standing.

“The PF will not field a presidential candidate so as to give us room to rebuild the party and start afresh,” Sampa said. “When you fall, you don’t start from there; you start lower and build up.”

He said rebuilding should have begun after the party’s 2021 election loss and called for a 10-year approach, with a possible return to the presidential race in 2031.

The faction will still contest selected parliamentary and local government seats. Sampa said the party has not endorsed any presidential candidate and that any future endorsement would be decided by the central committee, trustees and senior members.

The Patriotic Front has been split by internal legal battles, with Sampa and Robert Chabinga both claiming the party leadership.

(Mwebantu, Tuesday, 19th May, 2026)