Politics
Samia Suluhu sworn in as Tanzanian first female president
Tanzania’s Samia Suluhu Hassan was on Friday sworn in as the country’s first female president after the sudden death of John Magufuli from an illness shrouded in mystery.
Hassan, 61, a soft-spoken Muslim woman from the island of Zanzibar, will finish Magufuli’s second five-year term, set to run until 2025.
Wearing a bright red headscarf, Hassan was sworn in as the country’s sixth president, at a ceremony in Dar es Salaam, where neither she nor the majority of attendees wore a mask, in the Covid-sceptic nation.
“I, Samia Suluhu Hassan, promise to be honest and obey and protect the constitution of Tanzania,” said the new president, as she took the oath of office before inspecting troops at a military parade and receiving a cannon salute.
She becomes the only other current serving female head of state in Africa alongside Ethiopia’s President Sahle-Work Zewde, whose role is mainly ceremonial.
Hassan was little known outside Tanzania until she appeared on state television on Wednesday night to announce that Magufuli had died aged 61 from a heart condition after a mysterious three -eek absence from public view.
But questions have been raised over the true cause of his death, after multiple rumours that Magufuli — one of the world’s most fervent Covid-sceptic leaders — had caught the virus and had sought treatment abroad.
Main opposition leader Tundu Lissu insists his sources said Magufuli had Covid-19 and had actually died a week ago.
And Kenya’s Daily Nation newspaper, which last week reported an “African leader”, in clear reference to Magufuli, was in a Nairobi hospital, on Friday gave more details of his illness, also indicating Magufuli had in fact died last week.
Citing sources, the paper said Magufuli was discharged from Nairobi Hospital on life support after it was determined he could not be resuscitated, and returned to Dar es Salaam where he died last Thursday.
The paper details his initial evacuation to Nairobi on March 8 in a medical plane, as he suffered “acute cardiac and respiratory illnesses.”
The main question hanging over the new president is whether she will usher in a change in leadership style from her predecessor, nicknamed the “Bulldozer”, notably in the handling of the pandemic.
– ‘A new chapter’ –
Magufuli leaves behind a complex legacy, after a swing to authoritarianism which saw him crack down on the media, activists and free speech, while refusing to take any measures against Covid-19.
He called for prayer instead of face masks, refused to publish case statistics or implement lockdown measures, and championed alternative medicines.
In May last year he revealed a papaya, quail and goat had tested positive for the virus in a secret operation, proving “sabotage” at the national laboratory.
However by February, as cases soared and the vice president of semi-autonomous Zanzibar was revealed to have died from Covid-19, Magufuli conceded the virus was still circulating.
The opposition and rights groups have urged Hassan to change course.
“As we continue mourning, let us use this period to open up a new chapter for rebuilding national unity and respect to freedom, justice, rule of law, democracy and people-centred development,” said Freeman Mbowe, the chairman of opposition group Chadema, in a statement Thursday.
He urged Hassan to “lead the nation toward reconciliation”.
Meanwhile Human Rights Watch said in a statement that the new government “has a chance for a fresh start by ending problematic past practices.”
– ‘Hold your breath’ –
However analysts say Hassan will face early pressure from powerful Magufuli allies within the party, who dominate intelligence and other critical aspects of government, and would try and steer her decisions and agenda.
“For those who were kind of expecting a breakaway from the Magufuli way of things I would say hold your breath at the moment,” said Thabit Jacob, a researcher at the Roskilde University in Denmark and expert on Tanzania.
Hailing from Zanzibar, the semi-autonomous island in the Indian Ocean, Hassan rose through the ranks over a 20-year political career from local government to the national assembly.
A ruling party stalwart, she was named Magufuli’s running mate in the 2015 presidential campaign. The pair were re-elected in October last year in a disputed poll marred by allegations of irregularities.
Hassan must consult the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) about appointing a new vice president. The party is set to hold a special meeting of its central committee on Saturday.
Tanzania is observing a 14-day mourning period and details on Magufuli’s funeral have yet to be announced.
Magufuli is the second East African leader to die under mysterious circumstances.
Burundi’s equally Covid-sceptic leader, Pierre Nkurunziza, died from “heart failure” last June after his wife was flown to Nairobi to be treated for coronavirus.
A former governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos, Abdul-Azeez Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, has officially rejoined the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Jandor announced his return to the ruling party at a press conference in Lagos on Monday, approximately two weeks after resigning from the PDP.
In his address, he explained his decision, stating that APC prioritises electoral victory regardless of the candidate.
“We have decided to return to the All Progressives Congress, APC,” he declared.
Anticipating criticism over his political move, he referenced a Yoruba proverb, saying:
“Before you are quick to remind me of the reasons why I dumped APC, I want to say that there is a Yoruba adage that says, if a woman has not tried two husbands, she would not know which one is better.”
Jandor had previously left the PDP on 3rd March 2025, citing what he described as anti-party activities by some leaders in Lagos State.
“We were waiting to see if the party at the national level, governed by its constitution, would address these anti-party activities. Instead of sanctions, the same individual was appointed Vice Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee,” he said at the time.
Following his resignation from the PDP, Jandor met with several political figures, including President Bola Tinubu and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, as well as other key stakeholders in Nigeria’s political landscape.
Jandor’s political journey began with the APC, where he led the Lagos4Lagos Movement before defecting in 2022. He joined the PDP ahead of the 2023 governorship election and became the party’s flagbearer in Lagos, but lost to APC’s Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has dismissed the possibility of a political merger ahead of the 2027 general election, instead urging former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, and other opposition figures to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
El-Rufai’s call came in the wake of his resignation from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on 10 March, citing a misalignment of values with the party.
In a recent interview with BBC Hausa, the former governor appealed to opposition leaders to unite under the SDP banner to challenge President Bola Tinubu’s administration in the next election.
“My wishes and prayers are that Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, Rauf Aregbesola, and all opposition leaders join SDP—not to form a merger or register a new party, but to work together towards 2027,” he said.
El-Rufai also expressed his disappointment in the current administration, stating that despite initial confidence in Tinubu’s leadership, he had failed to meet expectations.
“What pains me is that the government we supported and believed in would perform well because we saw what Tinubu achieved in Lagos despite his challenges,” he remarked. “We all know about his issues in Chicago, but we thought if he could replicate his work in Lagos at the national level, we should support him. However, he has failed.”
Meanwhile, the Presidency has dismissed speculation surrounding the 2027 elections, maintaining that President Tinubu is focused on economic reforms and national development.
In a statement on Friday via X (formerly Twitter), Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications, Bayo Onanuga, stated:
“President Tinubu is not worried about the next election. He is concerned about the shared prosperity he can bring to Nigerians. He is focused on ensuring that, by the end of his first term, he can look back and say, ‘I have impacted the lives of Nigerians and turned this economy around.’”
Onanuga also highlighted the administration’s achievements, including improved foreign reserves, reduced inflation, a growing trade surplus, and increased foreign investments.
Addressing speculation about his own presidential ambition in 2027, El-Rufai said his candidacy would depend on the party and the will of the people.
“It is not for me to decide; it is the party and the people that will decide. Even when I was contesting for governor, it was the people who met and convinced (Muhammadu) Buhari, and he called me to run,” he said.
As political alignments continue to take shape ahead of 2027, El-Rufai’s defection and his call for opposition unity signal growing tensions within Nigeria’s political landscape.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari has reaffirmed his commitment to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), stating that he remains a loyal member and will continue to promote the party across the country.
Buhari made this known in a statement released on Thursday by his spokesman, Garba Shehu, amid speculations of defections from the APC.
“I am an APC member, and I like to be addressed as such. I will try to popularise the party by all means,” the former president declared.
Without referring to any individual or ongoing political debates, Buhari reiterated his long-standing position on party loyalty, emphasizing that he would never turn his back on the APC—the platform that brought him to power for two consecutive terms from 2015 to 2023.
He expressed gratitude to the party and its supporters for the trust they placed in him, acknowledging their role in his political journey. “I have nothing but gratitude for the support that the party gave me before and during my tenure as president. That, to me, is the highest honor, and I would never ask for anything more,” he added.
Buhari further stressed the importance of preserving the party’s founding ideals, which he described as a crucial effort to safeguard democracy and uphold constitutional values. According to him, the sacrifices made by the APC’s founding fathers in building a formidable party should be appreciated and sustained.
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