On 3 February 2020, a five-judge panel invalidated President Peter Mutharika’s narrow 2019 re-election, finding widespread irregularities that undermined the integrity of the result.

What happened

The judgment cited altered tally sheets and failures in electoral administration. It also clarified that a president must secure more than half of valid votes, replacing the previous first-past-the-post interpretation.

Why it mattered

The decision was widely regarded as a landmark for judicial independence and electoral accountability in Africa. It created a legal path to a new election rather than accepting a contested outcome.

Consequences

Parliament and the electoral commission prepared a rerun while the government appealed. The Constitutional Court’s core order remained in place.

Sources

• BBC
• ConstitutionNet