The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has quarantined all presidential results from Ntcheu District after discovering what it described as “serious discrepancies” during tallying — a decision that is already fueling debate about rigging in the hotly contested 2025 elections.
In its late-night update on Saturday, MEC confirmed that while 228 of 229 constituencies had submitted their results, the Ntcheu presidential tallies could not be validated. According to MEC, the figures raised red flags and will now undergo a deeper investigation before being considered. “The Commission reviewed the presidential election results for Ntcheu and discovered some discrepancies which made it difficult to conclude the determination of Presidential results in the district,” MEC Chairperson Annabel Mtalimanja said.
The Commission further explained that constituency and parliamentary results in Ntcheu have been verified without issue, but it is the presidential figures that remain under lock and key until a forensic review is complete. Officials have not disclosed the exact nature of the discrepancies, but insiders suggest figures submitted from some tally centres did not match with the numbers captured on the original result sheets.
This development has ignited fresh debate on social media, with Malawi Congress Party (MCP) supporters pointing to Ntcheu as a textbook example of the rigging they have been warning about. “When we say there was rigging, this is what we mean,” one MCP operative wrote online, arguing that inflated votes in opposition strongholds are a deliberate tactic to create the illusion of a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lead before official results are announced.
Meanwhile, analysts caution that MEC’s decision to quarantine Ntcheu is both significant and sensitive. “This is a district with mixed political loyalties, and tampering with numbers here could swing margins at the national level,” said one Lilongwe-based political scientist. “By quarantining the results, MEC is essentially admitting that malpractice may have occurred. The next step will determine whether public confidence in this election survives or collapses.”
For now, Ntcheu’s missing piece has left the national picture incomplete. With both MCP and DPP camps claiming momentum, Malawians are anxiously waiting to see how the quarantined results will be resolved — a process that could prove decisive in determining who will lead the country for the next five years.
