Malawi’s political arena is ablaze with speculation, suspicion, and growing frustration as former president and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) leader, Arthur Peter Mutharika, remains missing from the official list of presidential aspirants — despite social media flooding last night with what appears to be a leaked bank deposit slip showing a K10 million payment to the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) for the collection of nomination papers.
The absence of Mutharika’s name from MEC’s confirmed list has ignited confusion within the DPP camp and fueled rumors across the country.
As of this morning, only eight individuals have officially collected presidential nomination papers, according to an MEC update released by the Commission’s Director of Media and Public Relations, Sangwani Mwafulirwa. The list features both familiar and surprising names — but not Mutharika, a man who has long claimed he is “ready to save Malawi again.”
The current list of confirmed aspirants is as follows:
- Milward Tobias – Independent
- Adil James Chilungo – Independent
- Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera – Malawi Congress Party (MCP)
- Kondwani Nankhumwa – People’s Development Party (PDP)
- Akwame Bandawe – Anyamata, Atsikana, Azimayi (AAA)
- Joyce Banda – People’s Party (PP)
- Atupele Austin Muluzi – United Democratic Front (UDF)
- Reverend Hardwick Kaliya – Independent
Yet, last night, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and WhatsApp groups were set ablaze after a picture of what appeared to be a National Bank of Malawi deposit slip surfaced online, showing the DPP had allegedly paid the K10 million nomination fee for Peter Mutharika.
This has prompted outrage and mockery, with many Malawians demanding to know: “If he paid, why hasn’t he collected?” and “Is he even coming back?”
To further complicate matters, senior DPP officials have confirmed that Mutharika is currently in South Africa, reportedly on “unknown business errands.” But sources close to the party whisper that the 84-year-old politician is actually seeking medical attention amid rumors of deteriorating health.
Critics are now questioning the DPP’s state of readiness, with one commentator describing the situation as “a tragic soap opera of a party lost in time, trapped in denial.”
MEC has reminded all parties that the deadline for collecting and submitting nomination papers is 22 June for Local Government and 5 July for Parliamentary and Presidential races. However, with just days to go, the silence around Mutharika’s candidacy has become deafening.
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