Tanzania’s ruling party CCM strengthens control ahead of 2025 general election
CCM, which has ruled Tanzania continuously since independence, kicked off the nomination exercise on Saturday, marking the start of what is expected to be another wide-reaching electoral campaign.
As Tanzania gears up for its October 2025 General Election, the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) has officially launched the nomination process for councillorship, parliamentary, and representative positions.
The move signals the party's intention to retain its decades-long dominance over the country's political apparatus.
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CCM, which has governed Tanzania uninterrupted since independence, launched the nomination exercise on Saturday, setting the stage for another sweeping electoral campaign.
The stakes are particularly high this time, as it marks President Samia Suluhu Hassan's first electoral test at the ballot since assuming office in 2021 following the sudden death of her predecessor, John Pombe Magufuli.
The party is expected to deploy its well-oiled political machinery to maintain its parliamentary supremacy, having secured 256 out of 264 constituencies in the 2020 election, where Magufuli claimed over 84 per cent of the presidential vote.
Tundu Lissu
His main opponent, Tundu Lissu of the opposition CHADEMA party, officially garnered just 13 per cent, before being exiled and now jailed on treason-related charges.
CHADEMA, which has since been barred from participating in the upcoming polls, has described the charges as politically motivated—a claim the government denies.
CCM's internal contest is set to be crowded, with seasoned civil servants, emerging business elites, and new political aspirants vying for nomination.
Notably, Jessica Magufuli, the daughter of the late former president, has picked up nomination papers for a youth-designated special seat, a move closely watched as a symbol of political lineage consolidation within the ruling class.
Unchallenged
Local-level results suggest CCM's dominance remains largely unchallenged.
In the 2024 village elections, the party won 12,150 out of 12,280 villages—equivalent to 99.01 per cent of the total.
The opposition, led by CHADEMA, managed fewer than 100 seats across the board, a figure raising questions about the competitiveness of Tanzania's democratic process.
As the country prepares for the general election, the outcome appears more a test of internal party choreography than of multiparty democracy.
With the opposition cornered and CCM unrivalled in reach, President Samia is widely expected to secure a first full term, provided she manages to consolidate the political base while keeping a firm grip on stability.
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