Just a day after former Vice President Khumbo Kachali publicly disowned the so-called Northern Region Alliance with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Alliance for Democracy (Aford) Vice President Timothy Mtambo has joined the growing chorus rejecting what he termed “a betrayal” and “an unholy alliance” between Aford and the DPP.
In a highly charged press conference held Friday afternoon in Lilongwe, Mtambo said he will neither support nor campaign for the alliance between Aford and the DPP as announced by party president Enoch Chihana earlier this week.
“I want to make it abundantly clear—I, Timothy Mtambo, will not support Professor Peter Mutharika’s candidacy, nor will I campaign for any alliance that involves the DPP,” he declared to reporters.
In his strongly worded statement, Mtambo criticized the DPP’s track record, calling the former ruling party “corrupt” and “unrepentant.” He cited previous attempts at cooperation between the DPP and Aford that ended in betrayal.
“The DPP betrayed us before. They used and dumped Aford. We have seen nothing to suggest they have changed. There is no remorse, no respect for partnerships,” Mtambo charged.
He further questioned the judgment of Chihana for unilaterally entering into an alliance without consulting senior party leadership or structures.
He said: “I was not consulted. Neither were other key members. This was a solo decision made by Chihana and a few others, not a reflection of Aford’s collective voice.”
Mtambo also took a direct swipe at Jane Ansah, the DPP’s running mate, calling her a “symbol of electoral injustice” following her controversial role as Malawi Electoral Commission Chairperson during the botched 2019 elections, which were later nullified by the Constitutional Court.
“How can we, as a party that believes in democracy, align ourselves with the same individuals who presided over the most chaotic election in our country’s history? Jane Ansah is a reminder of everything that went wrong in 2019,” said Mtambo.
The former Minister of Civic Education and National Unity under President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera said the choice of Ansah signals that the DPP has not learned from its past mistakes and is instead doubling down on impunity.
Ironically, Mutharika, during his nomination speech, lauded the 2019 elections as “one of the best elections ever held anywhere in the world,” effectively gaslighting a nation still recovering from the trauma of electoral injustice.
Mutharika further touted Ansah as a God fearing woman being a Bishop of her own Church, Christ Citadel which she runs with her husband.
Political observers and civil society actors alike have been quick to point out the audacity of the statement.
Joining Mtambo at the press conference was Aford’s Legal Director Khwima Mchizi, who echoed the same sentiment. Mchizi accused the DPP of systematically undermining Aford during previous alliances and said the party had no business entering into such a pact again.
“We were used by the DPP. No apologies, no restitution, no consultation—just arrogance. This is not how alliances are built. This is how political prostitution is sustained,” Mchizi said.
The public fallout adds to a growing storm that has engulfed the DPP’s attempts to stitch together a Northern Region support bloc ahead of the highly anticipated September elections.
Just 24 hours earlier, Khumbo Kachali, another key Northern political figure and former Vice President, also rejected any association with the DPP and announced that he would instead be Joyce Banda’s running mate under the People’s Party (PP) banner.
The back-to-back rejections by Mtambo and Kachali now raise serious questions about the viability and legitimacy of the DPP’s “Northern Alliance.”
Enock Chihana, once a potential kingmaker for northern votes, now finds himself politically isolated within his own party.
Insiders indicate that many in Aford feel Chihana has betrayed the legacy of his late father, Chakufwa Chihana, who helped usher in multiparty democracy and stood firmly against dictatorship and corruption—two things many believe the DPP has come to embody.
“This is not the Aford we know. Chihana is dancing to a tune that does not belong to the people of the north. He is alone in this fight,” said one Aford district governor in private.
With both Mtambo and Kachali refusing to back the alliance, and with Aford showing signs of internal revolt, the DPP’s dream of reclaiming the north may be fading fast.
Historically, the Northern Region has been wary of the DPP, especially due to past insults and neglect. From dismissive remarks made by party officials in the past to the failure to include Northerners in critical leadership positions, the region has often felt like a political afterthought for the DPP.
The recent alliance appears to have been rushed and calculated solely to gain votes without any sincere engagement or reconciliation. Instead of winning hearts, the DPP’s moves have reignited old wounds.
Moreover, Mtambo is not just any Aford official, he is a significant youth mobilizer, a vocal advocate for human rights, and a recognizable figure in Northern and Central Malawi. His rejection carries symbolic and strategic weight.
Analysts say this public fallout demonstrates a broader problem within the DPP. Failure to build meaningful and principled partnerships.
One political commentator noted: “What we’re witnessing is a desperate DPP, clinging to any form of alliance to stay afloat. But alliances built on desperation and exclusion will collapse. This is exactly what we’re seeing.”
He added that the optics of an aging and visibly frail Arthur Peter Mutharika being surrounded by controversial figures like Norman Chisale, while sidelining seasoned Northern politicians, has not helped the DPP cause.
If political momentum were the currency of elections, the DPP would already be bankrupt in the Northern Region.
Between the rejection by Mtambo, the desertion by Kachali, the silence from key Northern figures and the lingering resentment over past slights, it is now difficult to see how the DPP hopes to mount a credible campaign in the region.
Even among those who support Chihana personally, many are finding it hard to reconcile the DPP-Aford alliance with their democratic values and regional pride.
With Jane Ansah as Mutharika’s running mate, the DPP has made a risky bet that may end up alienating more voters than it attracts. And as for Enock Chihana, he may now be fighting a lonely political battle that could spell the beginning of the end for his leadership in Aford.
