Africa-Press – Malawi. When the story of Malawi’s multiparty democracy is told, the Alliance for Democracy (AFORD) cannot be left out. Born out of the struggle for pluralism in the 1990s, AFORD has remained the North’s political heartbeat — and, more importantly, a decisive kingmaker in every competitive election since 1994.
At the centre of this influence stands Enock Chihana, AFORD President, whose strategic alliances have consistently tipped the balance of power:
2014/2019: Partnered with Saulos Chilima, helping him emerge as a northern kingpin.
2020: Cut a deal with Dr. Lazarus Chakwera, ensuring MCP’s northern sweep and paving his path to State House.
2025: This time, aligned with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), delivering an unprecedented northern landslide to Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika.
The results speak for themselves. For the first time in Malawi’s history, the DPP swept Rumphi, Chitipa, Karonga, Nkhata Bay, and Mzimba — areas traditionally resistant to the Blue wave. This seismic shift underscores AFORD’s unrivalled grip on the region’s political loyalty.
Context matters. Out of 7.2 million registered voters, 5.5 million turned out, and Mutharika clinched 3,035,249 votes — 56.8% of valid ballots — comfortably surpassing the 50%+1 threshold required for outright victory. It is no exaggeration to argue that AFORD’s endorsement made the difference between a strong performance and a decisive triumph.
Enock Chihana has therefore once again proven his mettle as the undisputed political giant of the Northern Region, a man whose strategic positioning makes and unmakes presidencies. Ignoring him — and the bloc he represents — is a fatal miscalculation in Malawi’s electoral arithmetic.
The Blue Alliance’s 2025 victory is historic. But history will record that its backbone was not only DPP’s machinery, but also AFORD’s calculated gamble — one that redrew Malawi’s political map in shades of blue.
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