Tanzania Heads to Polls with Suluhu as Sole Viable Candidate

Tanzania prepares for general elections on October 29, 2025, amid mounting criticism that President Samia Suluhu Hassan has systematically dismantled opposition through arrests, detentions, and intimidation, leaving her as the sole viable candidate in what critics describe as a fundamentally flawed electoral process.

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Key Opposition Figures Behind Bars

The main opposition party, Chadema (Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo), has been effectively eliminated from the race after its chairman Tundu Lissu was arrested in April 2025 on treason charges, leading to the party’s disqualification from participating in the elections . Lissu faces charges related to his calls for electoral reforms and his support of a boycott of the elections.

John Heche, Chadema’s deputy leader, was also arrested while attending Lissu’s treason trial and remains in detention. Presidential candidate Luhaga Mpina was disqualified for a second time from contesting the election, further narrowing the field of challengers to President Suluhu.

The wave of arrests extends beyond top leadership. During the campaign period, 83 Chadema members and supporters have disappeared, with their whereabouts unknown, according to human rights organizations monitoring the situation.

Mass Arrests at Peaceful Demonstrations

Tanzanians who attempted to exercise their constitutional right to peaceful assembly have faced severe state repression. Over 500 people were arrested during a Youth Day demonstration organized by Chadema in Mbeya in August 2024.

In September 2024, approximately 60 people were detained ahead of planned protests in Dar es Salaam against the wave of unexplained disappearances of political activists. On April 24, 2025, police arrested dozens of supporters outside the Kisutu Resident Magistrate Court where Lissu was appearing, with many later reporting beatings and torture before being abandoned in remote locations.

Social Media Crackdown Intensifies

The Suluhu administration has extended its authoritarian reach into the digital sphere, targeting online platforms and content creators. Just before polling day, access to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) was reportedly restricted nationwide, with full access reserved exclusively for government officials.

In September 2025, the government suspended Jamii Forums, Tanzania’s most popular online discussion platform, for 90 days, citing publication of content that “misleads the public” and “defames” the president. Citizens have been arrested for criticizing government officials or the president on WhatsApp and Facebook.

Prominent Politicians in Exile

Several opposition figures have fled Tanzania or remain in exile due to political persecution and threats to their lives.

Tundu Lissu spent years in self-imposed exile in Belgium after surviving an assassination attempt in 2017 when he was shot 16 times, while opposition politician Godbless Lema sought asylum in Canada in 2020 following death threats. Both had briefly returned to Tanzania in 2023 before Lissu’s recent arrest.

Former energy minister January Makamba entered political exile and has been barred from contesting the parliamentary seat he has held since 2010. Another politician in exile is Ezekiel Wenje, who left the country amid the government’s intensifying crackdown on dissent.

International Condemnation Grows

Human rights organizations have issued stark warnings about the legitimacy of Wednesday’s elections. Amnesty International cautioned that the 2025 elections “risk becoming a procedural exercise devoid of legitimacy,” citing politically-motivated charges against opponents, a deliberate climate of fear, and the documented disappearances of 83 opposition party members during the campaign period.

Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, stated: “President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s government has dashed hopes for reform. Instead, under her watch, authorities have continued and intensified repressive practices targeting opposition leaders, civil society, journalists, and dissenting voices, including through assaults, arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances”.

President Suluhu initially raised hopes for democratic reform when she assumed office in 2021 following the death of President John Magufuli. However, critics argue she has reverted to and intensified the authoritarian tactics of her predecessor.

With the main opposition party barred from participation and key candidates either detained or in exile, President Suluhu’s path to electoral victory appears uncontested, raising fundamental questions about the credibility of Tanzania’s democratic institutions.

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