Malawi Electoral Commission declares Peter Mutharika winner of September 16 presidential election

Malawi's former President Peter Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has been confirmed as the winner of the country's September 16, 2025, presidential election, the electoral commission announced on Wednesday.

Mutharika, who served as Malawi's fifth president from 2014 to 2020, garnered 3 million votes (56.8%) to defeat the incumbent President Lazarus Chakwera, who received 1.77 million votes (33%).

The presidential poll attracted 17 candidates, including former Governor of Malawi's central bank Dalitso Kabambe, who came third with 211,413 votes (4%). Former President Joyce Banda got slightly over 86,000 votes (1.6%).

At least 7.2 million people registered to vote in Malawi's 2025 general election, but 5.5 million (76%) cast their ballots.

President Chakwera concedes defeat

A presidential candidate required more than 50% of the votes cast to win the election in the first round, failure of which would have led to a runoff between the two top candidates.

On Wednesday evening, Malawi Electoral Commission's chairperson Annabel Mtalimanja declared that Mutharika, 85, was the duly elected president after surpassing the minimum threshold for victory.

Mtalimanja said that Malawi's recent presidential election registered 155,225 void votes which could "not have any bearing on the outcome of the election."

Earlier in the day, outgoing President Chakwera, 70, conceded defeat to Mutharika, saying he had already congratulated the president-elect.

Swearing-in

Chakwera, who had defeated Mutharika in the June 2020 presidential election, ran on the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) ticket.

Following the electoral agency's announcement on Wednesday, President-elect Mutharika will be sworn into office not less than seven days from September 24, and not more than 30 days from that date, when the results were officially declared.

Malawi's struggling economy, marked by a high cost of living and a shortage of foreign exchange, was at the centre of the presidential campaigns, with both the ruling party and the opposition pledging to strengthen the country's economic outlook.

Mutharika, a distinguished professor of law, chose former Attorney-General and ex-chairperson of the Malawi Electoral Commission, Jane Ansah, 69, as his running mate.

Mutharika's campaign pledges

If no presidential petition is filed in court to challenge their victory, the pair will formally assume office as president and vice president within a week of September 24.

President-elect Mutharika has pledged to stabilise Malawi's kwacha currency, restore integrity in public service, create one million jobs for the youth, invest in energy and infrastructure, strengthen the rule of law, fight corruption, improve food security, and make the civil service more efficient.

"You have been elected by the people of Malawi to lead them into a brighter future. You have been bestowed with the heavy responsibility of leading the development agenda of the nation for the next five years. We urge you to work and perform to your best, and not to betray the trust and confidence of the people of Malawi, who have elected you as their president and vice president," Annabel Mtalimanja, the chairperson of the Malawi Electoral Commission, told Mutharika and Ansah after announcing the results on Wednesday.

During his six-year presidency (2014 to 2020), Mutharika was credited with improving Malawi's infrastructure and lowering inflation. His critics alleged that his administration entertained cronyism, but the law professor denied this.

Malawi September 16, 2025 presidential election summary:

Registered voters: 7.2 million

Voter turnout: 5, 502, 982 (76.4%)

Valid votes: 5, 347, 757

Void votes: 155,225

·     Peter Mutharika: 3, 035, 249 (56.8%)

·     Lazarus Chakwera: 1, 765, 170 (33%

·     Dalitso Kabambe: 211,413 (4%)

·     Joyce Banda: 86,106 (1.6%)