22/05/2026
WHAT MANY PEOPLE STILL DON’T UNDERSTAND ABOUT UPND ADOPTIONS, NOMINATIONS, AND THE STANDBY CANDIDATE SYSTEM - Shamoba
As adoption discussions continue across the country within the ruling United Party for National Development, social media has been flooded with emotions, accusations, confusion, and misunderstandings from some party members and members of the public.
Every election season, especially during adoptions and nominations, people begin to panic whenever they hear that two individuals from the same ward or constituency possess party documents, certificates, or are both appearing at nomination centers.
Immediately, some people rush to conclusions.
Some claim the party is disorganized.
Others say the leadership is confused.
Some accuse the party of corruption or favoritism.
Others even begin spreading propaganda that the party has no direction.
But the truth is that most people simply do not understand how structured political systems work behind the scenes.
Politics is not as simple as many people think.
Serious political parties do not operate emotionally. They operate strategically.
And one of the biggest things many citizens still fail to understand is that organized political parties usually prepare more than one person for every constituency or ward.
In many cases, there are:
1. Preferred candidates
2. Standby candidates
This is not confusion.
This is political planning.
This is what serious political organizations across the world do in order to avoid unnecessary disasters during elections.
The preferred candidate is the official candidate selected by the party leadership after interviews, consultations, evaluations, intelligence gathering, and strategic considerations.
This is the person the party officially wants to sponsor and support during elections.
The preferred candidate receives the main adoption and sponsorship certificate and is expected to represent the party on the ballot.
However, because politics is unpredictable and elections are extremely sensitive processes, the party also prepares a standby candidate as an emergency backup plan.
The standby candidate is not the official first choice.
They are simply prepared in case something unexpected happens before nominations officially close.
And this is where many people misunderstand the whole process.
Let us make it very simple and practical.
Imagine in Chawama Constituency, the party officially adopts Mubukwanu as the preferred candidate.
This means Mubukwanu is the official person the party leadership wants to contest elections under the party ticket.
At the same time, the party may also prepare Namakau as the standby candidate.
Now, some people immediately begin asking:
“If Mubukwanu is already adopted, why prepare Namakau?”
The answer is simple:
Because politics can change overnight.
Anything can happen between adoption day and nomination day.
For example:
Mubukwanu may suddenly fall seriously sick
Mubukwanu may fail to submit nomination papers on time
Mubukwanu may face legal complications
Mubukwanu may have missing documentation
Mubukwanu may withdraw unexpectedly
Mubukwanu may become involved in internal disputes
Mubukwanu may fail to meet ECZ requirements
Mubukwanu may even disappear at the last minute
People must remember that elections operate under strict deadlines controlled by the Electoral Commission of Zambia.
Once nomination time closes, there is usually no opportunity to restart interviews or begin fresh adoption processes.
Time simply cannot allow it.
And this is exactly why standby candidates become important.
The standby system exists to protect the party from losing a seat due to avoidable technicalities or emergencies.
Politics is a game of preparation.
A serious political party must always prepare for worst-case scenarios.
Imagine a situation where the official preferred candidate fails to file nominations just one hour before the deadline closes.
Without a standby arrangement already in place, the party could automatically lose the opportunity to contest that seat.
That would be politically disastrous.
This is why organized political parties always prepare alternatives in advance.
In fact, many people would be shocked to learn that this system is common in many democracies around the world.
Political parties understand that elections are unpredictable.
Anything can happen at the last minute.
And because of this reality, standby systems are created not because the party is confused, but because the party is being careful and strategic.
Unfortunately, this is where another problem usually begins.
Sometimes, candidates who are not selected as the preferred candidates become emotional, bitter, angry, or frustrated.
This is understandable because politics is highly competitive.
Every aspiring candidate believes they deserve adoption.
Every candidate believes they worked harder than the others.
Some sacrificed money, time, energy, and years of loyalty to build the party.
So naturally, disappointment can happen.
However, problems begin when some unsuccessful candidates refuse to accept the final decision of the party.
Instead of supporting the chosen candidate and remaining loyal to the party, some begin trying to create confusion and drama.
Some attempt to use the standby documents to force themselves onto the ballot.
Others rush to nomination centers before the officially preferred candidate arrives.
Others start misleading supporters on social media.
Others create unnecessary tension within constituencies and wards.
This is why people sometimes witness chaotic scenes during nominations.
But what many citizens still do not understand is that political parties also submit official adoption lists to the Electoral Commission.
These lists clearly indicate who the officially preferred candidates are.
So even if someone attempts to manipulate the process by rushing to file first, the Electoral Commission already has records showing the legitimate adopted candidate recognized by the party.
This is why people must avoid rushing to social media conclusions whenever confusion arises during nominations.
Not every disagreement means the party is disorganized.
In many cases, the confusion comes from individuals who are refusing to accept internal democratic outcomes.
People must understand that political parties consider many things before selecting candidates.
Adoption is not always about popularity alone.
Sometimes the party considers:
- Electability
- Public image
- Loyalty to the party
- Ability to unite members
- Community influence
- Campaign capacity
- Leadership qualities
- Educational background
- Strategic regional balancing
- Gender representation
- Grassroots structures
- Political discipline
- Relationship with local communities
- National party interests
A person may be popular locally but still fail to fit into the party’s broader strategic vision.
And leadership sometimes makes difficult decisions for the survival and success of the party.
This is normal politics.
No political party on earth can satisfy everyone during adoptions.
Some people will always feel disappointed.
Some will feel betrayed.
Others will feel overlooked.
But mature politics requires discipline.
*Strong political parties survive because members respect structures, systems, and collective decisions even when they disagree personally.*
*Without discipline, political parties collapse from within.*
One of the biggest dangers in politics is allowing emotions to become bigger than the party itself.
*When members begin fighting the party simply because they lost adoptions, they weaken the same organization they claim to love.*
Instead of helping the party win elections, they create divisions that benefit opposition parties.
That is why loyalty, patience, and unity are extremely important during adoption periods.
*Members must learn to distinguish between personal ambition and party interests.*
Sometimes sacrificing personal desires for the stability of the party is necessary.
People should also understand the practical realities on the ground.
Zambia has many remote constituencies and wards located far from provincial and national offices.
*If a preferred candidate suddenly encounters problems on nomination day in a distant rural area, preparing completely new adoption documents within a few hours may become impossible.*
The standby system helps avoid such logistical disasters.
*It is therefore not a sign of confusion.*
It is actually a sign of preparation and organizational maturity.
*Politics is not just about excitement, slogans, and emotions.*
It is also about systems, strategy, legal compliance, risk management, planning, and contingency preparation.
The public must therefore begin looking deeper before judging political processes from the outside.
Sometimes what appears chaotic publicly is actually part of a carefully structured internal system designed to protect the party from unexpected situations.
At the end of the day, every serious political party wants one thing:
To avoid losing elections due to preventable mistakes.
And that is exactly why standby candidates exist.
Not because the party is confused.
But because the party is preparing for every possible situation before it happens.
