Supreme Court Nullifies Mangochi East Parliamentary Election
Published on July 15, 2026 at 9:55 AM by Edgar Naitha
The Supreme Court of Appeal has overturned the election of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Francesca Theula Masamba as Member of Parliament for Mangochi East, ruling that the September 16, 2025 parliamentary election was not conducted in accordance with the law.
In a judgment delivered by a nine-member bench chaired by Chief Justice Rizine Mzikamanda, the court found that irregularities in the electoral process warranted the nullification of the election.
The ruling overturns a February 6, 2026 High Court decision that had upheld Masamba’s victory.
Lawyers Patrick Mpaka and Cassius Chidothe, representing appellants Jackson Allie Daud Mataka and Abubakar Mbaya, argued that the election was tainted by procedural irregularities, including the merging of two polling centres and the failure of electoral officials to resolve complaints, which they said affected the integrity of the poll.
