Democratic Progressive Party old guards in the Northern Region have thrown their weight behind party leader Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika as their presidential candidate in 2025, throwing to the dungeon ambitions from other hopefuls.
The DPP is in the process of preparing for its elective convention in July this year even though the final list of hopefuls is yet to be known.
Despite remaining mum on his candidacy, Mutharika has sent out his diehards to put his name forward as the only candidate who can compete in 2025.
The octogenarian former leader has previously denied having ambitions to stand again saying it is time he paved way for another leader to take the party into the next election.
However, talk is cheap. Mutharika’s camp is gaining ground to sell him to the party delegates.
At a meeting held in Northern Region over the weekend, old guards Dr. Goodall Gondwe and Christopher Mzomera Ngwira informed the gathering that the region has settled for APM as their choice of candidate.
Gondwe also indicated that the party’s regional leadership wants someone from the region to be vice-president and running mate during the 2025 polls.
His wishes may just be a waste of time as the DPP has never picked anyone from the Central and Northern regions to be running mate to their presidential candidates since the party was formed in 2005.
Bingu wa Mutharika picked Joyce Banda from the Eastern Region in 2009 while Peter Mutharika had Saulos Chilima in 2014, Everton Chimulirenji in 2019 and Atupele Muluzi in 2020; all from the Eastern Region as well.
This trend explains why the DPP has openly showed a dislike for the Northern Region. During their 14-year old rule, under the two Mutharika brothers, senior members from the Southern Region spoke loudly against the region.
Former cabinet minister George Chaponda was reported as saying the party does not need votes from the Northern Region to win an election. Another senior member, Francis Mphepo, also told Peter Mutharika to stop development projects in the North because of what he called the ungrateful behavior of Northerners.
The decision to have Mutharika as the 2025 torchbearer will also affect other hopefuls like Dalitso Kabambe, Kondwani Nankhumwa and Joseph Mwanamveka who have already spent huge sums of money campaigning ahead of the forthcoming convention.
As a result, there is a huge probability that the party will break up as there are also loud voices against APM’s bid.
