Tanzanian President Hassan Secures Landslide Win in 2025 Election Marred by Protests and Opposition Crackdown
DAR ES SALAAM — In a result that’s ignited fury across East Africa, President Samia Suluhu Hassan has been declared the overwhelming victor of Tanzania’s 2025 presidential election, clinching nearly 98% of the vote amid accusations of rigging and the jailing of key rivals. The announcement, broadcast on state television Saturday morning, caps a tense vote that saw deadly clashes between security forces and demonstrators, raising fears of a democratic backslide in the coastal nation.
The National Electoral Commission (NEC) tallied 97.66% for Hassan of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, trouncing 16 challengers in the October 29 polls. Her nearest opponent, opposition firebrand Tundu Lissu of Chadema, scraped just 1.2% after being barred from running due to what authorities called “security threats.” Lissu, exiled during the late President John Magufuli’s iron-fisted rule, decried the outcome as “a farce engineered in the shadows,” vowing legal challenges and mass rallies.
Hassan, 65, ascended to power in 2021 following Magufuli’s sudden death, earning praise for easing COVID curbs and mending ties with the West. Yet critics say her reforms stalled, with recent arrests of over 200 opposition figures—including Chadema leaders—sparking pre-vote unrest that left at least 12 dead in Dar es Salaam and Arusha. Voting day saw internet blackouts and reports of ballot stuffing in CCM strongholds, per Human Rights Watch observers who labeled the process “fundamentally flawed.”
In her victory speech, Hassan urged calm, pledging to “build a united Tanzania” through economic growth and youth jobs. “This is the people’s choice, not a gift from above,” she said, flanked by NEC chair Anna Makinda as she accepted her certificate in a televised ceremony. But the optics rang hollow for many; footage of the handover went viral on X, drawing jeers like “Certificate of Theft” from users in neighboring Kenya.
Analysts are divided. “Hassan’s win cements CCM’s six-decade grip, but at the cost of legitimacy,” says Nicodemus Minde, a University of Dar es Salaam political scientist, who points to turnout dipping below 50%—the lowest since multiparty polls began in 1995. On the flip side, Africa analyst J. Peter Pham of the Atlantic Council sees continuity: “She’s no Magufuli 2.0; expect pragmatic diplomacy to lure investors back.” X buzz reflects the split—posts from @firstpost tallied 658 views hailing her “sweeping victory,” while Kenyan accounts like @AokoOtieno_ racked up 7,800 likes mocking regional “waoga” (cowards) for lacking Kenya’s protest fire.
For U.S. audiences, Tanzania’s turmoil reverberates through trade corridors and aid pipelines. As Africa’s fastest-growing economy with $1.5 billion in annual U.S. exports—from machinery to medical gear—stability here bolsters American firms eyeing the East African Community market. Yet the election’s stains could chill investments, echoing 2021’s post-Magufuli thaw that drew $2 billion in foreign direct inflows. Human rights advocates, including Amnesty International, press Washington to condition aid on reforms, warning that unrest might spill into Zanzibar’s semi-autonomous isles, disrupting key shipping lanes for U.S. LNG imports. In a year of global democratic tests—from U.S. midterms to EU polls—this saga tests America’s “democracy champion” rhetoric in Africa, where 40% of youth unemployment fuels migration waves to Europe via U.S.-funded repatriation pacts.
With Chadema filing suits in Tanzania’s High Court and the African Union monitoring post-vote probes, Hassan’s second term hangs on quelling the streets. Protests simmer in urban hubs, but her cabinet picks—expected next week—could signal olive branches or crackdowns. For now, the certificate gleams, but the real test is whether Tanzania’s reformist facade holds against a tide of distrust.
By Mark Smith
Follow us on social media and subscribe to our newsletter for the latest in global elections and African affairs—turn on push notifications to catch every twist in the world’s hotspots!