Politics

Malawi holds general election amidst economic hardship and fuel shortages

Published

7 months ago

September 16, 2025

Malawi voted in general elections Tuesday, with the incumbent president and his predecessor vying for a second chance to govern the largely poor southern African nation, battered by soaring costs and fuel shortages.

Thousands of people waited under trees or outside schools at outdoor polling stations across the mostly rural country for a vote focused on the faltering economy of one of the poorest countries in the world.

Seventeen candidates are running for president, but observers say the race is between outgoing Lazarus Chakwera and Peter Mutharika, who also duelled in the 2019 vote that was nullified over tampering and followed by a rerun.

Chakwera, a 70-year-old pastor, and law professor Mutharika, 85, have campaigned on improving the agriculture-dependent economy battered by drought in 2024 and a 2023 cyclone.

In urban centres, many young people—who make up around 60 per cent of the 7.2 million registered voters — expressed a desire for change.

“There is anger in us,” said Ettah Nyasulu, 28, a waitress in the capital Lilongwe, before heading to vote.

“I want to change this government. I want young people to be in good jobs, to have opportunities to change our lives,” she said.

Inflation is running at above 27 per cent, while the costs of living surged 75 per cent in 12 months, according to reports citing the Centre for Social Concern, a non-governmental organisation.

Around 70 per cent of the majority young population of 21 million people live in poverty, according to the World Bank.

Chakwera stood in line to vote with hundreds of locals at his humble home village of Malembo, about 56 kilometres (35 miles) northeast of Lilongwe, with soldiers standing guard nearby.

“Sometimes he helps us by giving us maize. He is our saviour,” said Tilore Chimalizeni, 58, a farmer and single mother of four from the village who also cares for two orphans.

‘Disappointments’

The election is also for seats in parliament and local wards. Polling stations close at 4:00 pm (1400 GMT) and ballot counting starts immediately, with the results expected as early as Thursday.

With a winner of the presidential ballot requiring more than 50 per cent of votes, a run-off within 60 days is likely.

Voting was proceeding smoothly with all the more than 15,000 polling booths open, Malawi Election Commission chief Annabel Mtalimanja told reporters mid-morning.

“It’s a very peaceful election process. People have gathered in large numbers,” Malembo MP Lawrence Chaziya told AFP.

Chakwera and Mutharika have both been accused of cronyism, corruption, and economic mismanagement in their first terms, but other candidates—including the only woman, former president Joyce Banda—did not appear to be attracting significant support, according to polls.

Voters are confronted with a choice between “two disappointments,” said political commentator Chris Nhlane.

“Both men embody unfulfilled potential and dashed hopes, yet Malawians must still choose a lesser liability between them,” he told AFP.

Chakwera, from the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) that led the nation to independence from Britain in 1964, has pleaded in his campaign for continuity to “finish what we started,” flaunting several infrastructure projects.

“There have been complaints about the cost of living, the lack of resources, and food scarcity,” he told a rally on Saturday in Lilongwe, a MCP support base.

“I have heard all of them, and I have taken your words to heart. We will fix things,” he said.

Chakwera was elected with around 59 per cent of the vote in the 2020 rerun, but five years later, there is some nostalgia for Mutharika’s “relatively better administration,” said analyst Mavuto Bamusi.

“Chakwera’s incumbency advantage has been significantly messed up by poor economic performance,” he said.

“I want to rescue this country,” Mutharika told a cheering weekend rally of his Democratic Progressive Party in the second city of Blantyre, the heartland of the party that has promised a “return to proven leadership” and economic reform.

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Politics

Wike-backed PDP fixes presidential form at N51m, gov N21m

Published

4 hours ago

April 22, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has fixed its presidential nomination and expression of interest forms at ₦51m and governorship form at ₦21m ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The PDP National Organising Secretary of the faction, Umar Bature, disclosed this in a timetable made available to journalists on Wednesday.

According to the schedule, the faction will submit its register to the Independent National Electoral Commission on April 21, 2026, and notify the commission of its primaries on April 22.

The timetable shows that the expression of interest form for all positions costs ₦1m, while nomination fees vary across offices.

Aspirants for State Houses of Assembly are to pay ₦2m, House of Representatives ₦3m, Senate ₦5m, governorship ₦20m, and presidential aspirants ₦50m.

The sale of forms will begin on April 27 and close on May 4, while the deadline for submission of completed forms is May 9.

Screening of aspirants for State Houses of Assembly, National Assembly and governorship positions is scheduled for May 11, while that of presidential aspirants will hold on May 12.

The presidential primary has been fixed for May 18, while governorship primaries will be held on May 27.

House of Representatives primaries are scheduled for May 21 and Senate primaries for May 23, while State Houses of Assembly primaries will hold between May 21 and May 24. Appeals are expected to be concluded by May 30, 2026.

Bature added that female aspirants would only pay the expression of interest fee for their respective positions.

The PDP has been embroiled in an internal crisis, leading to a split into two factions—one led by Tanimu Turaki and supported by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, and the other led by Abdulrahman Mohammed with the backing of Wike.

Several cases filed by both factions are pending in court.

At the Supreme Court on Wednesday, the justices said a date for judgment would be communicated to the parties.

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Politics

Supreme Court reserves judgment in PDP leadership dispute

Published

5 hours ago

April 22, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

The Supreme Court of Nigeria on Wednesday, reserved judgment in the appeal filed by the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, challenging the nullification of its 2025 national convention.

A five-member panel led by Justice Lawal Garba announced that a date for judgment would be communicated to all parties after counsel adopted their final written addresses.

The Turaki faction is seeking to overturn the March 9 ruling of the Court of Appeal, which affirmed earlier decisions invalidating the party’s Ibadan convention held on November 15 and 16, 2025.

At the apex court, the faction argued that the dispute falls within internal party affairs and is therefore not justiciable, insisting that due process was followed in organising the convention.

However, lower courts had consistently ruled against the group, nullifying the exercise, restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising its outcome, and issuing orders affecting access to the party’s national secretariat.

The appellate court had upheld two judgments of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which barred the PDP from conducting the convention pending compliance with the Electoral Act and the 2022 Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties.

In one of the decisions, Justice James Omotosho held that the party failed to conduct valid state congresses as required by law and its constitution, thereby invalidating the planned convention.

Similarly, Justice Peter Lifu restrained the party from proceeding with the convention until it allowed former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, to participate in the national chairmanship race after finding he was unjustly excluded.

The suits leading to the rulings were instituted by aggrieved party members, including state executives from Imo, Abia, and the South-South zone, setting the stage for the protracted leadership crisis now before the apex court.

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Politics

Oyebanji re-election in Ekiti will validate Tinubu’s influence — APC chieftain

Published

14 hours ago

April 22, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress and House of Representatives aspirant, Henrich Akomolafe, has said the expected victory of Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, in the June 20, 2026, election would serve as a referendum on the leadership of President Bola Tinubu.

Speaking with journalists during a political consultation meeting on Tuesday, Akomolafe framed the Ekiti poll as more than a state contest, arguing that it would also reflect public confidence in the broader direction of the APC-led Federal Government.

He described Oyebanji as a performer and bridge-builder whose administration has brought stability, development and renewed confidence in governance in Ekiti State.

According to him, the governor’s leadership style—anchored on service, humility and visible results—has strengthened public trust and positioned him for electoral success.

“Ekiti people are politically conscious and always assess performance before making electoral decisions. Governor Oyebanji has built trust through his record, and that trust will translate into votes,” he said.

Akomolafe added that Oyebanji’s policies prioritised the welfare of workers, youths, farmers and traditional institutions, noting that his inclusive governance approach had helped sustain peace and unity across the state.

The APC chieftain also linked the governor’s anticipated victory to growing acceptance of Tinubu’s economic reforms, which he described as bold but necessary steps toward long-term national stability.

“Transformational leadership requires courage. The support Oyebanji will receive will also reflect public understanding of the President’s vision,” he added.

While acknowledging the short-term hardships associated with ongoing reforms, Akomolafe maintained that many Nigerians were beginning to see their long-term benefits.

He further called for unity within the party, particularly in Ekiti South Federal Constituency I, urging intensified grassroots mobilisation to secure victory for the APC across all levels in the election.

Akomolafe also appealed to youths, women and community leaders to rally behind leaders committed to service delivery, stressing that the upcoming governorship poll would be pivotal to consolidating development gains and sustaining peace in Ekiti State.