[3] In 1958 the party was divided on whether to participate in the 1959 Northern Rhodesian general election, in which only a minority of the black population was allowed to vote.
The more radical Kaunda broke away, and formed the Zambia African National Congress, which was banned in 1959.
In the 1962 general elections the party won seven seats, becoming the third-largest faction in the Legislative Assembly and held the balance of power.
The party won ten seats in the 1964 general elections, and following independence, was renamed the Zambian African National Congress.
Nkumbula ran for president in the 1968 general elections, finishing second to Kaunda with 18% of the vote.