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Six hopefuls eye CUF’s presidential ticket as nomination process closes
What you need to know:
- The latest to join the race is 70-year-old Nkunyutila Siwale from Mbozi District in Songwe Region, who collected and submitted his nomination on Monday, becoming the sixth CUF member to express interest in the top party ticket
Mbeya. The Civic United Front (CUF) has registered six presidential aspirants who have picked nomination forms to contest for the party’s presidential ticket ahead of the 2025 General Election.
The latest to join the race is 70-year-old Nkunyutila Siwale from Mbozi District in Songwe Region, who collected and submitted his nomination on Monday, becoming the sixth CUF member to express interest in the top party ticket.
Siwale joins five other CUF aspirants: Rose Kahoji (Mbeya), Lutayosa Yemba (Mwanza), Gombo Samaditto (Geita), and Pemba-based Masoud Hamad Masoud and Habibu Mohamed Mnyaa.
In total, eight individuals from various political parties across the country have picked nomination forms to vie for presidential candidacy through their respective parties.
Apart from the six CUF hopefuls, ACT-Wazalendo's Dorothy Semu has also picked nomination forms, while Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) has confirmed incumbent President Samia Suluhu Hassan as its sole presidential candidate, effectively making her CCM’s unopposed nominee.
Unlike CCM, which has already concluded its internal nomination process for the presidency, parties such as CUF and ACT-Wazalendo are still in the early stages of determining their official candidates.
Each aspirant will be subjected to internal vetting processes before final party endorsements are made.
Speaking to The Citizen on Tuesday, CUF’s Southern Highlands Zone Chairperson, Mr Yassin Mrotwa, said the number of presidential hopefuls who have emerged under the party banner reflects its internal democratic strength.
“This shows that CUF has matured democratically. In our zone alone, we have two presidential aspirants, which is a great achievement,” said Mr Mrotwa.
He added that the nomination process for all other elective positions had also concluded in Mbeya Region, with each parliamentary constituency registering at least one applicant, including those seeking councillorship.
“The final step now lies with the party’s National Executive Council, which will vet and nominate qualified and widely accepted candidates,” he said.
Mr Mrotwa also confirmed that he had picked nomination forms to contest for the Mbeya Urban parliamentary seat, while lawyer Rafael Ngonda had collected forms for the Uyole constituency.
