Factions have formed within the MCP we hear one backing closer relations with Chilima and another pushing for party vice-president for the south Sidik Mia to replace Chilima on Chakwera's ticket in 2025 and then run for president in 2030...
The wealthy businessman MCP financier and former Chakwera running mate Sidik Mia is believed to be behind a spate of newspaper articles pointing this out (AC Vol 58 No 20 Mutharika's uncertain future)...
Other say that Sidik Mia is being positioned to take up this role which he occupied during the 2019 election...
His cabinet now includes his party deputy Sidik Mia and his wife Abida; they bankrolled the election campaign of the Malawi Congress Party...
The forgotten victim of the UTM-MCP lash-up is businessman Sidik Mia who stood for the vice-presidency on Chakwera's ticket but looks like being sidelined completely even though he financed the MCP election campaign (AC Vol 55 No 3 Scandals to dominate polls)...
His deputy Sidik Mia did not run for a parliamentary seat but he is rumoured to have invested a large part of his business fortune in the campaign and may be in financial difficulties (AC Vol 60 No 5 War of the running mates)...
The MCP has been accused of bribing staff at the MEC apparently because they say MEC Chief Elections Officer Sam Alufandika is a relative of MCP vice-presidential candidate Sidik Mia...
For his part Chakwera who has the wealthy businessman Sidik Mia on his side will also gain from his electoral alliance with Banda and Khumbo Kachali who have a lot of pull in the northern region...
For his number two Chakwera has selected the meat-processing magnate and political chameleon Sidik Mia who over the years has sought office with every major political party...
A former cleric with the Assemblies of God Church Chakwera has named Mohamed Sidik Mia a prominent Muslim and millionaire businessman who comes from the Lower Shire in southern Malawi as his running-mate for the 2019 polls (AC Vol 58 No 20 Mutharika's uncertain future)...
New sponsorChakwera who used to be the President of the Malawi chapter of the Assemblies of God church is backed by the majority of churches and also now by the influential Muslim millionaire Mohamed Sidik Mia...
In the past 18 months she has lost at least six key senior party officials including former national Vice-President Cassim Chilumpha Sidik Mia and most damagingly Khumbo Kachali (AC Vol 54 No 4 Banda takes on her deputy)...
