…APM leads poll despite forex and fuel crises, Kabambe comes second
One year after President Peter Mutharika returned to power, a fresh poll suggests that his political support remains remarkably resilient. This is despite the country being in the midst of economic difficulties that appear to have given hope to the immediate past government of the Malawi Congress Party.
The poll, conducted on Malawi24’s Facebook and X pages in September, attracted more than 16,000 votes, with Mutharika emerging as the clear favourite. Out of 16,600 votes cast, Mutharika received 8,706, translating to just over 52 percent. The percentage is slightly lower than the actual percentage of votes Mutharika got in the September 2025 election.
However, Mutharika still attracted more votes than all the other presidential options combined with UTM President Dalitso Kabambe coming a distant second with 4,488 votes, representing only about 27 percent of the vote. This would still be seen as a boost for Kabambe who polled in the single digits in the 2025 election.
Former president Lazarus Chakwera, meanwhile, received only 970 votes — about 6 percent — while 2,436 respondents, representing roughly 15 percent, said they would rather not vote if it meant choosing between the three options.
Mutharika returned to power after defeating Chakwera and the Malawi Congress Party, riding on widespread dissatisfaction with the previous administration and he rode on promises to restore economic stability. However, a year into his administration, the forex situation remains dire which has led to the return of fuel queues that saw Chakwera lose popularity. Further, Mutharika’s return has been marred by power shortages and allegations of corruption against top officials.
But the our poll suggests that, at least among respondents, voters are not yet be ready to abandon Mutharika. The President’s 52 percent showing could suggest that some supporters continue to give his administration the benefit of the doubt, while others may still prefer him to the available alternatives despite current hardships.
The poll was an open online survey and while it is not a scientifically representative national opinion poll, it has reflected closer to reality results in its previous runnings with 2025 polls conducted before the election showing Mutharika in a clear lead.
