Incumbent President Dr Samia Suluhu of Tanzania
DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (IP)
Tanzanians went to the polls on Wednesday October 29 in an election that many described as free, fair and completely predictable.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan, the ruling party’s flagbearer, is seeking another term in a contest that features no major opposition figures on the ballot.
Critics have dubbed it “a one-woman race with multiple observers.”
The main opposition parties, CHADEMA and ACT-Wazalendo, were disqualified earlier this year under what election officials called “procedural issues,” though opponents claim it was more of a political clean-up.
Their leaders — Tundu Lissu and Zitto Kabwe — are either in detention or barred from campaigning, leaving the field clear for Hassan’s Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM).
Polling stations opened early across the country, with long queues in rural areas and yawning apathy in cities like Dar es Salaam, where voters joked that the results might already be “safely printed.”
Some citizens still turned out to exercise what one voter described as “the right to participate in what’s already decided.”
Hassan has run her campaign on the slogan “Work and Dignity,” promising economic stability, infrastructure expansion, and continuity of peace.
Supporters credit her for steady leadership and international diplomacy, while critics argue that political space has shrunk under her watch.
Observers reported peaceful voting, a few internet disruptions and a conspicuous lack of excitement.
With all major challengers disqualified, the only suspense left in this election seems to be the margin of victory — and whether anyone dares to question it.
Unofficially, analysts expect Hassan to win comfortably, possibly by a landslide. Official results are expected within three days — though few expect surprises.
After all, in Tanzania’s 2025 election, democracy showed up, but the competition apparently misplaced its voter card.
