DREAMS by veteran parliamentarian Luhaga Mpina to run for presidency via the opposition party ACT-Wazalendo ticket ended in dramatic fashion yesterday after he was barred from submitting his nomination forms to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Mpina, who defected from (CCM) earlier this month, joined ACT-Wazalendo with vibrant aspirations of uplifting the opposition vote in the presidential poll, given the absence of Chadema, the leading opposition party, from the polls. 

Yet his campaign bid has rapidly unravelled following internal party disputes, legal challenges and ultimately, disqualification on procedural grounds, with institutional readiness to accept the forms torpedoed in the final hours of an eventful nomination run.

The one time cabinet minister, a formidable government critic in the legislature, took a sharp turn in his political loyalties when he was omitted from parliamentary nomination for his Kisesa constituency.

That was one month ago, when he then publicly announced a move to join ACT-Wazalendo, a move that was met with jubilation within the opposition party and then scheming started that finally catapulted his presidential campaign ambitions. 

Despite most party members and followers seeing his decamping as a valuable addition, soon new feelings emerged, questioning the manner of his being received in the party and handed the flag, contrary to a regulatory requirement by party statues which some say were inapplicable.

In the week after the party issued him the nomination, Monalisa Ndala, the party’s publicity secretary for the commercial capital, wrote to the Registrar of Political Parties objecting to the nomination. 

She cited a party constitution clause that was breached, specifically requiring presidential aspirants to have been registered party members for a minimum of 30 days prior to nomination, suggesting that the former MP, having only recently joined, did not meet this requirement.

The Registrar subsequently wrote a letter to the party’s secretary general Ado Shaibu to explain, who faulted the objection as a general clause that does not hinder the relevant party organs from reaching a consensus on the nomination.

Still the Registrar struck down the candidacy, while Mpina, aware that political parties present nominations directly to INEC, pressed forward, insisting the objection and its being approved by the registrar were incompetent as the party has final say on who becomes the candidate.

ACT-Wazalendo thus lodged a protest with INEC, urging the electoral body to override the registrar’s directive. However, INEC upheld the decision, stating that both party and national electoral laws must be respected.

The situation came to a head yesterday when Mpina, accompanied by his presumptive running mate and supporters, arrived at INEC headquarters in Dodoma at exactly 12:40 p.m. in an attempt to return his nomination forms. He was stopped at the gate and denied entry.

INEC officials instructed Mpina and his team to wait outside while consultations were held inside. After several hours, no breakthrough was reached and Mpina was not allowed to submit his forms.

“It’s unfortunate and deeply disappointing,” said one ACT supporter at the scene. “He had a vision for change. This is not just a loss for Mpina, but for our democracy.”

Meanwhile, the nomination process was smoothly pursued for other presidential hopefuls, with President Samia Suluhu Hassan, nominated by CCM, successfully submitted filled nomination papers earlier in the day, alongside running mate Dr Emmanuel Nchimbi.  Samia was among 18 presidential aspirants — representing parties including CUF, UDP, NCCR-Mageuzi, CHAUMA, and others — to complete the nomination process at INEC. All approved candidates were issued official campaign vehicles and drivers, as part of INEC’s logistical support ahead of the 29 October general election.

Polls director Ramadhan Kailima confirmed that all approved candidates had met the constitutional requirements outlined in Article 39 of the 1977 Constitution.

With national campaigns set to begin, Mpina now finds himself on the outside looking in. His political gamble — defecting from CCM to seek the presidency under a new party — has ended in exclusion. As the polls calendar enters another stage, chances of challenging the disqualification through legal proceedings had similarly evaporated, analysts noted.