Dar es Salaam. Barely 24 hours after former Rombo MP Joseph Selasini returned to Chadema and publicly apologised to party members, former Iringa Urban MP Peter Msigwa has followed the same path, quitting CCM and rejoining the opposition party he left nearly two years ago.
The back-to-back returns of the two veteran politicians on May 22, 2026, have stirred fresh political debate, with both men describing their departures from Chadema as mistakes made during difficult political moments.
Selasini made the first move on Friday during Chadema’s public rally in Arusha, where he stood before supporters and admitted that leaving the party in 2020 had been a ‘political accident.’
“I suffered a political accident. I know there are people who were hurt and disappointed,” Selasini told supporters.
“I stand here to apologise to everyone who was affected. The work we are doing is for the nation, not for individuals.”
The former lawmaker, who once represented Rombo Constituency under Chadema before defecting to NCCR-Mageuzi, officially rejoined the party six years after his exit.
His return quickly became one of the biggest talking points within opposition politics, but before the dust could settle, another familiar face announced a dramatic comeback.
Just one day later, Peter Msigwa released a statement confirming he had officially left CCM and returned to Chadema after what he described as a long period of reflection following the events of October 29, 2025.
“I can no longer continue living in sorrow and silence,” wrote Msigwa.
“By my personal conviction, today I have officially withdrawn from CCM and returned to Chadema by following all Chadema procedures.”
The former Chadema Nyasa Zone chairman also apologised to party members and supporters who felt betrayed by his earlier decision to leave the party.
“To all Tanzanians and Chadema members who were hurt or disappointed by my previous position, I sincerely apologise,” he wrote.
“Yes, human beings make mistakes, but when conscience awakens, it becomes a duty to stand on the side one believes is truthful and just.”
Msigwa’s return marks a sharp political turnaround from June 30, 2024, when he crossed over to CCM during the ruling party’s National Executive Council meeting in Dar es Salaam.
At the time, his defection attracted national attention because of his long-standing role within Chadema as one of the party’s influential figures and former member of the Central Committee.
His exit came shortly after internal tensions within Chadema, where he narrowly lost the Nyasa Zone chairmanship election to Joseph Mbilinyi, popularly known as Sugu, by only two votes during the party’s internal polls held on May 29, 2024.
Despite initially insisting that he would continue serving Chadema even after the defeat, speculation over his political future intensified for weeks before he eventually joined CCM.
His move shocked many opposition supporters, especially because he had once been regarded as one of Chadema’s strongest political voices in the Southern Highlands.
At the time, some Chadema supporters openly criticised him, with others accusing him of abandoning the party during a difficult political period.
Now, nearly two years later, Msigwa’s decision to return appears to mirror the political soul-searching described earlier by Selasini.
The simultaneous return of the two politicians has revived discussion about loyalty, political survival and the shifting fortunes within Tanzania’s opposition politics.
The developments also carry symbolic weight, coming at a time when the party has intensified political mobilisation campaigns across the country.
