ACT-Wazalendo’s Mpina cleared to run, declines INEC’s campaign car
Chairman of the INEC Jacobs Mwambengele hands over nomination forms to ACT Wazalendo's presidential candidate for the United Republic of Tanzania Luhaga Mpina nad his running-mate Fatma Ferej
But it was the party’s refusal to accept the official campaign vehicle that drew attention at the ceremony.
INEC Chairman, Justice Jacobs Mwambegele, told the gathering that each of the 18 presidential candidates would be allocated a new Toyota Land Cruiser GX VXR, complete with a driver, to ensure fairness during campaigns.
Dar es Salaam. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has today formally nominated ACT-Wazalendo’s Luhaga Mpina as a presidential candidate for the October 29, 2025 general election—but the party stunned many by declining the brand-new Toyota Land Cruiser offered by the commission to facilitate campaigns.
Mpina returned his nomination forms to INEC headquarters in Dar es Salaam on September 13, marking a dramatic comeback just two days after the High Court overturned his earlier disqualification by the commission.
INEC’s Director of Elections, Ramadhani Kailima, announced that Mpina and his running mate, Fatma Abdul Ferej, had met all constitutional requirements under Articles 39 (1), 41 and 47 (4), and were therefore duly nominated as ACT-Wazalendo’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates.
The decision capped weeks of legal battles after Mpina was initially barred on August 26 following an objection filed with the Registrar of Political Parties. The court ruled on September 11 that INEC had unlawfully denied him a hearing, ordering the process to resume from where it had stopped.
But it was the party’s refusal to accept the official campaign vehicle that drew attention at the ceremony. INEC Chairman, Justice Jacobs Mwambegele, told the gathering that each of the 18 presidential candidates would be allocated a new Toyota Land Cruiser GX VXR, complete with a driver, to ensure fairness during campaigns.
ACT-Wazalendo’s lawyer, Omar Issa Shaaban, politely declined the offer, saying: “On behalf of the party, I wish to express our gratitude for the decision to provide us with a vehicle, but in terms of resources, we are well covered.”
Justice Mwambegele accepted the decision, noting: “If you have refused, that is fine. The purpose was to help all candidates compete on an equal footing. If you do not need it, we will use it for other purposes.”
With that, Mpina and his entourage departed INEC headquarters in their own vehicle, leaving behind the government-issued Land Cruiser.
The nomination sets the stage for a heated contest as campaigns begin, with ACT-Wazalendo signaling confidence not only in its candidate’s legitimacy but also in its ability to mount a self-funded presidential campaign.
