By The Forum
He may have followed in his father’s political footsteps, but whether he has filled his shoes remains a different story.
Ahead of Malawi’s general elections scheduled for September 16, Alliance for Democracy (Aford) president Enoch Chihana has confirmed that his party has entered into a coalition agreement with the former ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Under the deal, if DPP wins, Aford will be allocated two key positions:
- Ministry of Agriculture
- Second Vice Presidency
This wouldn’t be the first time for Aford to hold such high-level positions in government, although not under a DPP administration.
Enoch’s father, human rights icon and Aford founder Chakufwa Chihana, who died in 2006, once held the same two positions. He served as Second Vice President and Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Food Security during its alliance with the United Democratic Front (UDF) under President Bakili Muluzi at the dawn of Malawi’s multiparty system.
DPP leader Arthur Peter Mutharika is expected to announce his running mate today, July 25, 2025. Commenting on his party’s coalition with DPP, Chihana, who referred to Mutharika as “father”, said:
“We have swallowed our pride and accepted that DPP should take both top positions.”
He emphasized the need to tackle hunger in Malawi, an issue that hasn’t been successfully resolved since the country adopted multiparty democracy in 1994.
Chihana also condemned political violence, calling it a serious threat to democracy.
“All political parties must take responsibility. Malawians are tired of business as usual… In this coming [DPP-led] government, we don’t want to condone such behavior,” he said.
