₦airaland Forum

Fellow Malawians,

Two nights ago, the Malawi Electoral Commission announced the validated results of the presidential election from eleven Councils, bringing the total to twenty-four, with only the results of twelve Councils remaining.

From those official results, it wad clear that my main rival, His Excellency Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party, had already secure an insurmountable lead and is the presumptive winner of the presidential election.

For this reason, a moment ago, I called Professor Mutharika directly to congratulate him on his historic victory and to wish him well in his upcoming tenure as the seventh President of the Republic of Malawi.

I have done this because I accept the results of the presidential election that the Malawi Electoral Commission has already validated and released, just as I will accepted the final result that the Commission is scheduled to announce at 2pm.

I know that to many of you who supported my campaign for re-election, this outcome is disappointing, but I want you to know that I will forever be grateful for your trust in me and for your support of my candidacy. I also know that to the majority of you who voted, this outcome is a reflection of your collective will to have a change of Government, and so it is only right that I concede defeat out of respect for your will as citizens and out of respect for the Constitution. But regardless of whether or not you voted, and regardless of how you voted, if you are a Malawian citizen anywhere in the world, I want to thank you for conducting yourself throughout this election in a peaceful, orderly, and lawful manner.

Most importantly, I want to thank the Lord God Almighty and all of you for the incredible privilege you gave me for the past five years to serve as your sixth President.

In the days that remain before my successor takes his oath of office, I want you to know that I am fully committed to facilitate a peaceful transfer of power. I have already instructed my team to begin preparations to render the incoming Administration any support needed to ensure a seamless process that safeguards our nation’s peace, order, institutions, public services, and constitutionalism.

Additionally, I have issued directives for all my staff to see to it that over the coming days, all State Residences are left in good order and in time for the President-Elect to move in upon taking his oath of office.

Let me also thank the Malawi Electoral Commission for the meticulous and outstanding job it has done to ensure that the entire electoral process is peaceful and transparent.

Worthy of special mention and praise in this regard is the MEC Chair, Justice Annabel Mtalimanja, whose cool head and steady hands have ably steered this long and complex process in a manner that is commendable and admirable.

But I know that to run an election as well as she has requires an ecosystem of supportive Commissioners, electoral staff, and stakeholders. So as President, I want to thank all of you for the role you have played to make these General Elections a success and to make Malawi’s democracy a shining example for the whole world.

Going forward, I call on all of you to render our incoming President the same kind of collective support that you have given to the Malawi Electoral Commission during this process. Because Professor Mutharika’s success in leading our nation towards prosperity will depend on all of us standing as one people in pursuit of our nation’s development.

So whether you are a political party, a candidate, or a voter, and whether you have emerged on the winning side or on the losing side, my prayer is that you will all remain active in taking our development and democracy forward, and my commitment is to do my part in that collective effort.

To the members of my party, I will be giving further direction in the near future about how we will transition from my leadership in the months to come so that we can rebuild our platform for success in the future. But I believe that what matters now is for all of us as Malawians to work together as one nation to make Malawi better, because that’s how we will all be winners in the end.

Mrfixitt:
Tinubu should prepare his mind to do same in 2027 for the sake of peace in Nigeria..

Adexvivacity:
Same was said of Buhari but he won the second term. Accept Tinubu as your Lord and Savior till 2031.

SonOfWords:
Lol.

Reading through the brief profiles of both men, I don't even know whether to be happy for Malawi citizens, or sad for them .

Mrfixitt:
I know Tinubu is your lord and saviour but can't be mine because I have a functional brain

Onewazobia:
Incredible I must say, seen not so common with African politicians

fergie001:
Lazarus Chakwera concedes defeat

The Justice Annabel Mtalimanja-led Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has so far announced the official results of 24 (out of 36) councils with 85-year old Arthur Peter Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party polling 2022879 votes as against the incumbent and perennial rival, Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) with 732575 votes.

Malawi laws allow a maximum 8 days for election results to be announced, with the winner needing a 50%+1 margin to be so declared. The results for the remaining 12 councils is expected to be announced at 3pm Nigerian time.

The duo have now faced each other in close Presidential contests four times (2014, 2019, 2020 & 2025). Chakwera, 70, a preacher and instructor, holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and also a BTh, MTh and Doctorate in Theology. He was the General Superintendent & head of the Malawi Assemblies of God Church from 1989, and at one time, Secretary of the World Assemblies of God Church until his surprising resignation and foray into politics in 2013. Elected Member of the Parliament and leader of the opposition thereafter in 2014, Chakwera premised his policy on fighting corruption, job creation and lowering food prices for the largely rural Southern African nation.

During his tenure as President, he has faced heavy criticisms ranging from his many appointments of relatives and persons from his own political stronghold, fewer women in his cabinet, rising inflation (+20%) aided in part by the cyclone/climate change effects, fuel shortages, selective fight against corruption, rising food prices and economic drought.

On the other hand, Mutharika, a teacher and Professor of International and Comparative Law have at different times served as a Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Justice, Minister of Education, Science & Technology as well as been a Member of Parliament under Bingu Wa Mutharika (his older brother and 3rd President of Malawi who died whilst in office in 2012).

In 2014 before the Presidential Election, Mutharika relinquished his US PR status after it was found out he holds a US Green Card, a disqualification criterion to contest the Malawian Presidency (Malawi outlaws dual citizenship for the Presidency). The 85 year old, a University of London and Yale University alumni was elected President in 2014 in a first 5-year term, in what Malawians term as a period of heavy sleaze and corruption including allegations of his receiving a $200000 bribe for a multi-million Police contract, one he denied.

In 2019, he was re-elected in controversial circumstances with what is now known as 'Tippexing election' where results were manipulated and changed with tip-pex, a brand of correction fluid, heavy protests followed even after his swearing-in on May 31, 2019. Known as the 'Tippexing President', consistent opposition and street protests trailed his Government until the Constitutional Court on 5/2/2020 under heavy military protection in a 7-hour judgement annulled the election (2nd time in Africa after Kenya's in 2017) and ordered a fresh election in 150 days; he lost to Chakwera thereafter. His 2025 chosen Vice President-elect is Justice Jane Ansah (rtd), the chairperson of MEC who midwifed the controversial 2019 Presidential Election.

17 aspirants contested in the Presidential election with about 7.2million voters.

just2endowed:
Malawi Turn up % is 43.9%.

Nigeria turn up is 23%

If we continue not to turn up for election, the supporters of bad government will vote for the incumbent candidate. the good news is that if we can achieve 40% turn up rate, it be good because we are many than those supporters.

Mrfixitt:
Tinubu should prepare his mind to do same in 2027 for the sake of peace in Nigeria..

dynicks:
Hope Tinubu is watching ....Cus everything no be do-or-die affair.......If you chop defeat, abeg move to the left!!.......on a norm, person your age suppose don collect back sit dey form spectator...!!