Misleading information on Prof. Peter Mutharika collecting nomination papers for presidential election

Misleading

Elections 2025

Misleading information on Prof. Peter Mutharika collecting nomination papers for presidential election

FACT-CHECKED by iVerify

June 16, 2025

A statement that the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) released hours after the claim contained eight presidential hopefuls, excluding the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)presidential hopeful Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika.

Claim

APM collected presidential candidacy nomination forms

Rating Justification

iVerify Malawi verified the information and determined that it is misleading. To arrive at the verdict, iVerify Malawi used the statement that the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) released hours after the publication of the stories containing the claim. iVerify Malawi also interviewed MEC Communications Officer, Richard Mveriwa and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) spokesperson Shadric Namalomba, who made the claim. Mveriwa confirmed that Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika had indeed paid nomination fees but had not collected the nomination papers yet. Mveriwa, however, told iVerify Malawi that there is nothing unusual with paying nomination fees and not collecting as it is still within the specified time for the nomination fees payment and forms collection. Namalomba confirmed that Professor Mutharika had paid the nomination fees on Saturday but could not collect nomination papers on the same day as, according to him, MEC offices were ‘closed’. “This is a continuous process, and I don’t see why it has become an issue,” Namalomba said. Another statement that MEC released on Friday, June 13, 2025, advised that its head office and all district council offices would remain open on Saturday, 14 June and Sunday, 15 June 2025 from 8.00am to 4.00pm for collection of nomination papers. iVerify Malawi determines that the information about Professor Mutharika collecting nomination papers as published on Sunday, June 15, 2025 was not factual, it deceived, misinformed and therefore misleading.

Evidence and References

MEC statement on who had collected nomination papers as of Sunday, June 15,2025 https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16mjFoVQiR/

MEC statement on opening of its offices on Saturday and Sunday for collection of nomination papers.
https://web.facebook.com/share/p/1BiiXPakVx/

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