In a dramatic political twist, Alliance for Democracy (AFORD) President Enock Kamzingeni Chihana has disowned and withdrawn from the newly announced alliance between the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Northern Region Alliance Block, barely hours after the pact was made public.
The alliance, announced on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, was branded as a “historic political agreement” by its architects, spearheaded by DPP alliance chairperson Dr. George Chaponda and Northern Alliance lead negotiator Dr. Buchizga Victor Madhiopa.
But the sheen of unity quickly faded when AFORD issued a scathing communique distancing itself from the coalition, citing unfair terms, lack of internal democracy, and deep reservations over DPP presidential candidate Arthur Peter Mutharika’s age and physical condition.
Although Chihana has since attempted to disown the withdrawal statement, multiple insiders confirmed to The Pangolin that the statement was authored and signed from his own office, following days of internal frustration and failed negotiations.
In the statement dated July 22 and signed by Chihana himself, AFORD accused the DPP of dominating the negotiations with unreasonable demands that undermined the spirit of equal partnership.
Chief among the grievances was the insistence that both the presidential candidate and running mate in the proposed alliance must come from the DPP.
“We cannot continue to participate in discussions that may not prioritize the best interests of our party or the country,” the letter reads.
The statement also directly questioned the viability of the candidacy of the 85-year-old Arthur Peter Mutharika, citing his “advanced age and related health concerns” as a major risk to Malawi’s leadership stability.
“Those advocating for his candidacy may have ulterior motives, potentially seeking to exert influence from behind the scenes,” AFORD warned, in a veiled swipe at powerful DPP inner-circle figures such as Norman “Pythius Hiwa” Chisale and Alfred Gangata who are propping up Mutharika to secure their own political survival.
The Northern Region Alliance Block was marketed as a united regional front, comprising AFORD, Freedom Party (FP) of former Vice President Khumbo Kachali, National Development Party (NDP) led by Frank Mwenefumbo, and the Solidarity Alliance of political novice Victor Modhlopa.
But AFORD’s abrupt withdrawal lays bare growing divisions and mistrust among the northern parties, many of whom feel the DPP is exploiting regional alliances for political convenience rather than genuine partnership.
A senior official within AFORD, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “The DPP only wants votes from the North, not to share power with the North. That is why they demanded the presidency and running mate. We are just being used.”
The DPP’s sudden embrace of a Northern alliance has raised eyebrows, not least because of past inflammatory statements by some of its most senior figures.
Dr. Chaponda, ironically the DPP’s lead negotiator and chairperson of this alliance, is on public record saying the party does not need the North to win an election. In 2020, during a campaign rally in Thyolo, Chaponda infamously declared: “We can win with the South and Centre. The North is not decisive.”
Dr George Chaponda shocked the nation with his remarks which he repeated during an interview with MIJ FM Radio emphasizing that much as people would love to fool themselves but people from the North have little impact on the political landscape of DPP as a party and Malawi in general.
“Yes it is true that we need to have national appeal but we won the 2009 elections not because of people from the North. This is why our President Peter Mutharika settled for Chilima not Goodall Gondwe as you are asking,” said the highly charged Chaponda.
Adding, “Let me challenge you. We will win in May without people from the North voting for us”
This was not the first time for Chaponda to tear into people of the Northern Region as he also sent scathing remarks in defending Bingu on the issue of Quota System when it was first introduced in 2009.
Chaponda comes from Mulanje and his remarks have always encouraged the thought that DPP only focuses on the Lhomwe belt in its operations and top positions.
His words and position have not been forgotten.
Even more damning are also remarks by DPP Administrative Secretary Francis Mphepo, who said the DPP would withdraw all development projects from the North if voted back into power, claiming Northerners were “ungrateful” for overwhelmingly supporting President Lazarus Chakwera and the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) in the 2020 court-sanctioned fresh elections.
“This so-called alliance is pure hypocrisy. The DPP insulted the North, abandoned it, and now comes back begging for votes while refusing to share real power. That’s not an alliance. That’s colonization,” said a political analyst at Mzuzu University.
Chihana’s bold comments about Mutharika’s capacity to lead have revived debate around the former president’s age, visibility, and readiness to endure the rigors of national leadership.
While the DPP has repeatedly circulated choreographed videos and edited images of Mutharika to reassure the public, critics—including some within the party, are increasingly concerned that he is being used as a front by more ambitious, unelectable figures.
Political insiders say Mutharika has made no public appearance in recent months and rarely speaks off-script. The AFORD letter made a pointed reference to “those with ulterior motives”, suggesting that Mutharika’s name is being used to push hidden agendas by powerful DPP factions including the Chisale-Gangata axis.
As of Wednesday afternoon, neither the DPP nor the Northern Region Alliance Block had issued a formal response to Chihana’s withdrawal. But sources within the DPP camp hinted that “talks are ongoing behind the scenes” to contain the fallout.
However, observers say the damage is already done.
“This shows that the DPP has not learned anything. They want alliances without compromise. They want Northern votes without respecting Northern leadership. It’s insulting,” said a governance commentator.
Meanwhile, both Frank Mwenefumbo and Khumbo Kachali have remained mum, raising speculation about whether other Northern Alliance members may also reconsider their participation.
What was meant to be a powerful anti-MCP coalition has now started to unravel before it is even launched.
With AFORD out, internal tensions boiling, and Mutharika’s candidacy in serious question, the DPP-Northern Alliance stands on shaky ground, another example of Malawi’s troubled opposition politics, where personal ambition and mistrust too often trump unity and patriotism.
The September elections are two months away, but for the DPP, time is running out, not just to build an alliance, but to prove it has anything real to offer the nation, apart from staged images and videos of the sick Arthur Peter Mutharika in an attempt to prove that he electable.
