President Samia Suluhu Hassan
Tanzania’s 2025 general elections campaign has taken a dramatic turn after the removal of the Alliance for Change and Transparency (ACT Wazalendo) party’s candidate — former minister and outspoken legislator Luhaga Mpina — from the presidential race.
The decision announced by the National Electoral Commission (NEC) is widely seen as strengthening President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s prospects for a second term. The removal of Mpina follows injunctions made by Attorney General Hamza Johari against his nomination.
Mpina, a former heavyweight member of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party known for his populist rhetoric and strong following in rural constituencies, joined ACT Wazalendo — the second biggest opposition party — last month after being dropped from the race for the parliament seat in northern Tanzania’s Kisesa constituency.
He was seen as one of the few figures who could present a challenge for the CCM in the presidential election. Political analysts say his removal has reshaped both the tone and trajectory of the race, given the absence of human rights lawyer Tundu Antipas Lissu, the chairperson of the largest opposition party Chadema who is facing treason charges in the High Court of Tanzania. Chadema was effectively sidelined from the election after being disqualified for failing to sign an electoral code of conduct, claiming it favoured the CCM.
The vote scheduled for 29 October will include presidential, parliamentary and local government elections.
Political analysts say by sidelining dissenting voices such as Mpina, the CCM leadership has closed ranks around Samia. She took office in 2021 after the death of John Magufuli, promising a more open and reconciliatory style of leadership.
Samia has overseen economic reforms and progress in infrastructure investment initiated by her predecessor. With Mpina out of the race, the president’s supporters say she now has a freer hand without distraction from internal critics.
Some opposition parties have accused the CCM of stage-managing the election process to suppress competition and others say the removal of a strong contender like Mpina risks dampening voter enthusiasm.
“Tanzanians deserve genuine choice,” said one opposition leader, urging the election commission to ensure transparency and fairness.
The president still faces the task of convincing citizens that her government can address pressing concerns such as youth unemployment, the rising cost of living and fair democratic participation by citizens.
But with the CCM firmly behind her and a fragmented opposition, she enters the final stretch of the campaign as the frontrunner, her political future now more secure than at any time since she assumed the presidency.
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