Investigations by the Pangolin Online have unveiled clandestine dealings between the Institute of Public Opinion and Research (IPOR) and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in a bid to rig the September elections narrative in favour of Arthur Peter Mutharika and his party.
Recently IPOR released results of a poll that indicated that the DPP was ahead of both the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and the UTM with more than 43% of those polled indicating that they would vote for Mutharika.
However, our investigative journalists have uncovered a secret operation working in the dead of night, under the cover of political shadows which is threatening to shake the credibility of Malawi’s democratic processes to the core.
Sources disclosed that on July 22nd, three luxury vehicles, a Toyota Fortuner and two silver Toyota Prados, quietly left former President Peter Mutharika’s lakeside residence at Page House in Mangochi. Their destination: Zomba.
Their cargo: three mysterious suitcases, suspected to be stuffed with cash. The recipient: Finly Dulani, a driver for IPOR. Finley is a relative of Boniface Dulani, the Afrobarometer Research Director who oversees all IPOR polling in Malawi.
This was not an isolated occurrence.
Throughout June and July, a trail of covert meetings, suspicious visits, and questionable financial movements linked IPOR, long perceived as an independent research body, directly to the DPP, a political force desperate to regain power.
At the center of this emerging scandal is Bensoni Mwachande, IPOR’s Human Resources Manager, who has reportedly become a regular fixture at Mutharika’s private residences in Nyambadwe (Blantyre) and Mangochi.
Visitor logs confirm his presence on multiple occasions, raising serious questions about the nature of these engagements and the neutrality of IPOR’s electoral research.
The revelations paint a disturbing picture: an alleged cash-for-favor alliance between IPOR and the DPP aimed at manipulating public opinion, distorting poll results, and reshaping the national narrative ahead of a critical election.
Recently, the Pangolin Online revealed another dirty operation being spearheaded by Dulani. Sources within University of Malawi’s Centre for Social Research (CSR) revealed that Dulani has been holding secret meetings with senior DPP operatives, including Mutharika, Norman Chisale, and controversial financier Alfred Gangata.
These meetings, held mostly at Mutharika’s Nyambadwe residence in Blantyre, culminated in a corrupt deal worth K50 million meant to doctor an Afrobarometer survey in the DPP’s favor and cast doubt on the popularity of President Dr. Chakwera and the ruling MCP.
Afrobarometer has since restrained itself from releasing the report following the exposed scandal. However, a leaked draft report seen by The Pangolin claims DPP would secure approximately 40% of the vote in the upcoming elections, compared to just over 20% for MCP and about 10% for UTM, while the rest is fragmented among smaller parties.
Insiders say the numbers were crafted not from the field but from DPP boardrooms.
These dealings threaten not only the credibility of Malawi’s most cited polling institutions but also the integrity of the upcoming election itself.
Afrobarometer, which positions itself as the leading pan-African research network focused on democratic governance and development, has always leaned on IPOR and CSR as primary partners in Malawi.
If the allegations are true, then Afrobarometer’s entire Malawi research output including public opinion data, trust in government metrics, and political favorability ratings, have been compromised by such partisan interference from the DPP.
This explosive development comes at a time when the DPP has been desperately trying to project a false narrative of resurgence, despite deep internal fractures and a visibly ailing presidential candidate.
Recent attempts to parade Mutharika at rallies and in carefully staged videos to dispel concerns about his health have failed to convince voters especially after widely circulated photos showed him in a wheelchair during a private event at Page House.
DPP insiders believe that if public perception can be manipulated through supposedly independent polling, showing inflated popularity for Mutharika or deflated ratings for MCP’s Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, the party could gain critical momentum in the final weeks before the polls.
And that’s where IPOR comes in. By fabricating or skewing data to fit the DPP narrative, the institute can give Mutharika and his handlers including Norman Chisale, Getrude Mutharika, and Peter Mukhito the statistical ammunition they need to claim an “inevitable victory” or justify rigging allegations in the event of a loss.
Boniface Dulani has long positioned himself as a respected academic and policy voice in Africa’s democratic discourse. But his proximity to this emerging scandal, through both his family ties and institutional oversight, places him at the epicenter of a potentially career-ending controversy.
Afrobarometer’s silence in the face of growing allegations only deepens suspicions. Why has no public explanation been offered? What internal reviews, if any, are being conducted?
Civil society actors and democracy watchdogs have already started raising red flags.
Several have called for an independent forensic audit of IPOR’s recent research outputs, funding streams, and political affiliations. There are also increasing calls for Afrobarometer to suspend IPOR as its Malawi partner pending an internal ethics review.
In a democracy already battered by voter apathy, economic hardship, and elite corruption, the erosion of trust in institutions like IPOR and Afrobarometer is a national tragedy.
These are organizations meant to amplify the voice of the ordinary citizen not act as mercenaries for political elites. If true, the collusion between DPP and IPOR represents a breach of ethical research standards and a direct assault on Malawi’s democratic processes.
With only weeks before Malawians go to the polls, the urgency for truth and transparency cannot be overstated. IPOR must come clean. Afrobarometer must act decisively. And the DPP must answer to the public about its underhanded tactics.
As Malawi stands at a crossroads, it must choose between democracy guided by truth or one hijacked by manipulation, backdoor deals, and suitcase politics.
