Breaking: Mutharika Wins 2025 Malawi Presidential Election in a Landslide
MEC releases Malawi presidential elections 2025 official results
- Peter Mutharika (DPP): 3,035,249 (56.8%)
- Lazarus Chakwera (MCP): 1,765,170 (33.0%)
- Dalitso Kabambe (UTM): 211,413 (4.0%)
- Valid Votes: 5,347,757
- Void Votes: 155,225
Former President Peter Mutharika has been officially declared the winner of Malawi’s 2025 presidential election by the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC). Mutharika, representing the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), secured 56.8 percent of the valid votes, defeating incumbent President Lazarus Chakwera of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), who garnered 33 percent.
Mutharika’s victory was sweeping, with strong performance across all three regions of the country. In contrast, Chakwera managed to retain influence only in four districts within the central region. Notably, he lost Lilongwe City, a former stronghold where he had previously commanded considerable support.
Mutharika’s alliance with the Alliance for Democracy (Aford), led by Enock Chihana, appeared to bolster his support in the Northern Region, where Chakwera fared poorly despite selecting Vitumbiko Mumba, from Mzimba District, as his running mate. Mumba’s appointment was widely criticized as nepotistic, as he was considered close to Chakwera’s son, Nick. The choice also generated internal party conflict, with Chakwera overlooking seasoned politicians such as Gotani Hara and Abida Mia.
In the run-up to the election, divisions within MCP became increasingly visible. Mumba, who had lost his parliamentary primaries, openly clashed with colleagues in both Cabinet and the MCP executive. Despite these tensions, Chakwera rewarded him with the running mate position. Critics say this reflected Chakwera’s indecisiveness and inability to discipline party members or take strong action against corruption allegations within his administration.
During Chakwera’s presidency, accusations of fraud and corruption reached the highest levels of government, including his own household. His administration faced international and domestic criticism after the controversial arrest of Martha Chizuma, Director General of the Anti-Corruption Bureau. Observers described his government as unwilling to confront corruption, with some alleging collusion between state officials and business figures to intimidate journalists and opposition leaders exposing graft.
Economically, Chakwera presided over one of Malawi’s most challenging periods, marked by hyperinflation and a soaring cost of living. His frequent foreign travel earned him the nickname Tsiku Transport, fuelling further discontent.
Given these challenges, Chakwera’s defeat came as little surprise to many observers. A survey conducted by Malawi24 ahead of the polls had placed him as only the third most popular candidate. The real surprise, however, was the poor showing of Dalitso Kabambe, the candidate for the United Transformation Movement (UTM), who secured just 4 percent of the valid vote.
Well placed sources at State House told Malawi24 that President Lazarus Chakwera formally conceded defeat this afternoon following a courtesy call from the Malawi Electoral Commission informing him of the outcome, as is required for a sitting president, before the official announcement. In a statement, Chakwera congratulated his rival, describing Mutharika’s victory as “a resounding one.”
With this result, Peter Mutharika returns to power with a decisive mandate.
#Malawi24 #ElectionResults
