In a more shocking turn of events, the recent Malawi elections have brought in a change of government with the country’s ex-president, Peter Mutharika, defeating incumbent president Lazarus Chakwera with 56.8% of the vote against the latter’s 33%. This defeat added to the growing list of African leaders who suffered the same fate in the 2024 elections. From countries like Botswana, Senegal, Somaliland, Mauritius, to Ghana, the scenario was all the same with the modern African voter speaking with one voice. The message seemed to be loud and clear that leaders will no longer enjoy incumbency. From the above-mentioned nations, incumbents being Mokgweetsi Masisi, Macky Sall, Muse Bhi Abdi, Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth, and Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, who had replaced Nana Akufo-Addo upon reaching his constitutional term limits all bit the dust. Chakwera’s fall was therefore not a surprise. He joins the list to now make it six (6) presidents in the space of less than a year. Whilst this denotes a changing trend in African politics, it has brought uncertainty to incumbents, yet it is not entirely new for incumbents to serve only one term in Africa.
Previously, it has happened in Nigeria, with President Goodluck Jonathan serving only one term from 2010-2015 before losing his re-election bid. Other presidents like John Mahama in Ghana, Joyce Banda of Malawi, and Rupiah Banda in Zambia were equally defeated in their quest for a second term. The list is endless. Across Africa, issues like corruption, abuse of state power, poverty, income inequalities, human rights abuses, and economic disparities have been major concerns for decades, with citizens often caught between election euphoria and unfulfilled promises. Generally, history records that Africa has had a generation of leaders who failed to place the interest of the people at heart and generally lacked the political will to socially transform their nations. However, this appears to have gone with the wind.
