Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) leader Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika (APM) faces more intraparty mutiny as his party’s vice president for the Eastern Region, Bright Msaka, has refused to endorse his candidature for the 2025 presidential election.
Muthairka, who is aged over 80, was unceremoniously booted out of power through the June 2020 Fresh Presidential Election after Malawians got tired of high levels of nepotism, corruption, cronyism and abuse of office by close allies that characterized his administration.
But he seems to be bent on continuing his discriminatory leadership as evidenced by his tactics to use the old and frail members of his party to advance his political agenda ahead of the next general elections.
Unfortunately, though, his bid seems not to be enjoying support from the youthful party followers.
Barely a week after DPP Regional Governor for the South, Charles Mchacha, publicly denounced the dictatorial tendencies of Mutharika, the party’s Second-in-Command in the Eastern Region has refused to endorse his candidature for the 2025 presidential election.
Sources privy to the divisions in the former governing party have confided that Msaka has rejected a request by Mutharika to stand aside and rally behind him [APM] at the next poll.
Msaka himself did not pick our call on Friday afternoon, but the sources claimed that he [Msaka] is prepared to challenge APM at the elective conference slated for July 2023.
In essence, this contradicts what the party’s old guard, led by Goodall Gondwe, have been saying that all DPP followers are behind APM candidature.
Msaka’s refusal to bow out of the race is dimming Mutharika’s chances of succeeding at the convention especially now that Nankhumwa is firmly in control of the southern region where he is the region’s favourite for the party leadership.
“Our president Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika wants the Eastern region to be behind him that is why he asked Msaka not to contest at the convention so that he [Mutharika] can consolidate Eastern region as his base especially now that Nankhumwa is in control of the southern region,” said the source.
Mutharika has between now and July to salvage his ambition. As it stands, Mutharika’s chances of succeeding at the convention looks increasingly slim. Standing in his way are his former blue-eyed boys who understand his politicking but they are fed up with his manipulation and they are determined to thwart Mutharika’s ambitions.
It was only last week that one long time boy of his, Charles Mchacha broke ranks with him. It is rumored that the firebrand southern region governor has joined forces with Nankhumwa in the quest to frustrate Mutharika in his track from becoming a destructive force in the DPP.
