LUSAKA (Reuters) - Zambia's constitutional court ruled on Tuesday that former President Edgar Lungu was ineligible to run for another term in office after he announced his return to politics last year.
The country's highest court ruled that Lungu's first term, which he served from 2015 to 2016 after the death of then-president Michael Sata, counted as a full term.
His second term was from September 2016 to August 2021, and he then lost the presidency to United Party for National Development candidate Hakainde Hichilema in the 2021 national election.
"I accept this verdict. I accept it not with resignation but with resolve," Lungu said in a post on social media platform Facebook after the decision.
Civil rights groups say Lungu, of the Patriotic Front (PF) party, would have been a strong challenger to Hichilema in the next presidential election, due to be held in 2026.
Lungu said he would now implement "Plan B," but did not provide details on what this would entail.
"The constitution makes the first respondent ineligible to participate in any future elections as a presidential candidate," the judgment said, adding Lungu had twice been elected and has twice held office.
During the memorial service for Sata in October 2023, Lungu said he would come out of retirement.
His political comeback followed the arrest of several family members, including his wife, on allegations of possessing the proceeds of crime.
There was heavy police presence outside the court session, which Lungu did not attend.
"We are studying the matter. But we are gravely concerned by the court's decision and ruling," PF spokesman Emmanuel Mwamba said.
(Reporting by Chris Mfula; Editing by Tannur Anders, Bhargav Acharya, Ros Russell)