By Burnett Munthali
On Friday, October 18, 2024, Malawi24 conducted a Facebook opinion poll regarding the upcoming 2025 presidential election, offering an early glimpse into online voter preferences. The unofficial results from the poll show Peter Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) as the overwhelming favorite, with a staggering 86.3% of the votes. Penjani Fredokiss Kalua, a prominent youth figure, came in second with 10%, while incumbent President Lazarus Chakwera of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) trailed at just 3.5%.
The poll attracted a total of 139 votes, revealing the following breakdown:
1) Peter Mutharika: 120 votes (86.3%)
2) Penjani Fredokiss Kalua: 14 votes (10%)
3) Lazarus Chakwera: 5 votes (3.5%)
These results suggest that Peter Mutharika, who led Malawi from 2014 to 2020, continues to enjoy strong support among online respondents, with Fredokiss Kalua emerging as a formidable candidate appealing to younger voters. Meanwhile, Lazarus Chakwera, despite being the sitting president, received significantly fewer votes, pointing to potential dissatisfaction among some segments of the online electorate.
While the poll results are intriguing, several important factors should be considered when interpreting them. Social media polls, including this one, are often limited by the sample size and the demographic of participants. With only 139 people casting their votes, the results may not accurately reflect the views of Malawi’s millions of eligible voters. Moreover, the poll was conducted on Facebook, a platform primarily used by younger, tech-savvy individuals, which may exclude the views of rural and older voters who are not as active online.
The Facebook poll conducted by Malawi24 suggests Peter Mutharika is the frontrunner in the 2025 presidential race, with Penjani Fredokiss Kalua gaining ground as a popular candidate among the youth. However, these unofficial results should be taken with caution. The limited sample size and the online-only nature of the poll make it difficult to predict how the broader electorate will vote in the real election. As Malawi heads toward the 2025 elections, a more diverse range of factors, including regional voting patterns and political alliances, will ultimately determine the outcome.
