Just five years after being dramatically unseated by a court ruling, Peter Mutharika is set to return to power as the president of Malawi.
Mutharika, who held the top job from 2014 to 2020, seems to have triumphed in last week's general election, usurping his long-time rival, President Lazarus Chakwera.
Mutharika told voters on the campaign trail that life was simply better under him - Malawi has experienced one of its worst ever economic downturns since Chakwera took office.
But the record of 85-year-old Mutharika has its own blemishes, from corruption allegations to the debacle that ended his first presidency.
This is the fourth time he has run for office, but initially, Mutharika did not intend to go into politics.
Born in 1940 in the tea-growing region of Thyolo, he was raised by two teachers and developed a love for education.
I grew up in a family where my parents were educators, and myself I spent all my life in higher education, at seven universities on three continents, Mutharika commented in 2017, during an address at the UK's Oxford University.
Mutharika highlighted his educational background, having studied at the prestigious Yale University in the 1960s.
His political career began in earnest when he returned to Malawi in 2004, entering as an adviser to his brother, then-president Bingu Mutharika. He later became an MP and held multiple cabinet positions.
Tensions arose in 2010 as plans emerged for him to run for presidency in the 2014 elections. After his brother’s sudden death in 2012, a constitutional crisis ensued but eventually led to Joyce Banda becoming the first female president in Malawi.
Although Mutharika was accused of treason during that tumultuous period, these charges were dropped after his 2014 election win.
During Mutharika's first term, he secured substantial Chinese loans for infrastructure, and inflation rates significantly decreased.
However, his presidency was not without issues, including power shortages and corruption scandals. Mutharika lost his re-election in 2019 following a court ruling that declared the election invalid due to electoral fraud.
Now, he has made a surprising return to the spotlight, tapping into a public yearning for stability as the country faces economic challenges post-Chakwera.
He framed his comeback with rhetorical questions on the campaign trail, asking voters if they missed him and bringing attention to their struggles during the current administration.
As voters place their trust in him again, scrutiny over his health and stamina to lead at the age of 85 remains a concern. But despite his quieter campaigning style compared to Chakwera, Mutharika managed to capture votes in several strongholds.
Now back at the presidential residence, Mutharika faces an array of challenges ahead as he aims to fulfill promises of economic revitalization for the people of Malawi.
