Modeste Bahati Lukwebo Resigns as Second Vice-President of the Senate

Kinshasa, March 18, 2026 - Modeste Bahati Lukwebo officially resigned from his position as Second Vice-President of the Senate on Wednesday, March 18, the day after a petition for his removal was filed by Senator Dany Kabongo Bondanya (UDPS) and signed by multiple elected officials. In an interview following the submission of his resignation letter to Senate President Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde Kyenge, Bahati Lukwebo explained his decision: “I figured there was no point in getting into a power struggle with my colleagues. In any case, when you receive a mandate, you have to be prepared to leave it at any time. Because there were misunderstandings following my statement, I thought I had been understood when I said that much work is needed on the individual, their mentality, and their behavior if we hope for the text to be properly implemented.” The petition and public criticism had raised grievances against Bahati Lukwebo, including allegations of incompetence, lack of respect for institutions, and controversial remarks regarding a potential constitutional revision. “I thought I had explained myself clearly, but there you have it. By nature, I don’t like confrontation, so I preferred to submit my resignation today,” he added. The resignation also follows internal distancing within his own political platform, the AFDC-A, whose members had urged him to accept the political consequences of the controversy. Bahati Lukwebo, who served as Senate President from 2019 to 2024, had held the position of Second Vice-President since the 2023 legislative elections. His departure closes a chapter marked by recent political tension within the Sacred Union of the Nation (USN) coalition.