A senior member of the National Governing Council (NGC) in the erstwhile governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Ken Chitatata Msonda, has joined other party followers in the Southern Region in condemning people who are ‘influencing’ Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika to represent the party at the 2025 presidential election.

Msonda and the concerned DPP followers argue that APM is ‘too old and frail’ to steer to prosperity having failed to do so while he was still active.

The sentiments come barely a few days after Mutharika himself made a public confession during Times Television Exclusive Interview with Brian Banda that he had no solutions to the social and economic challenges weighing down Malawians at the moment.

He said this is why he chickened out of an engagement President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera had organized for former presidents to discuss how they could mobilize resources for assisting survivors of the Tropical Cyclone Freddy.

Msonda – who is also the Executive Director of Independent Political and Good Governance Analysts Think Tank – said he does not support the decision by DPP senior officials in the Northern Region to impose APM as the torchbearer of the party in the next presidential poll.

He said this defeats the essence of democracy in a party. Msonda feared that DPP would perform poorly in the next election if it fields APM who was rejected in 2020.

And writing on his Facebook page, Mulanje South West aspiring member of Parliament, Prince Mattaka, criticized DPP senior leaders for ‘trying to influence APM to stand again in their effort to continue stealing government money’.

“I understand you’re busy influencing the great guy so that you can continue finishing your lodges and hotels pogula cement opanda tax as before which will not be possible this time. I am a loyal member of DPP koma nsimasekerera zopusa olo mutandiikira ndalama patebulo this is about Malawians and youths, generation as well.

“Let the good man rest and enjoy his retirement muziganizira ali bambo anu muzingowayendesa kuwatukwanisa kwa ana osakhwima pamchombo just for your foolish personal gains,” says Mattaka.