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 eventually pivoted to politics in 2004, when his older brother, Bingu, became Malawi's president, returning home to serve as an adviser to the new government.
However, tensions emerged in 2010 amid reports that Bingu planned to name Mutharika as the DPP's presidential candidate for the 2014 elections.
The death of his brother led to a power struggle, and amidst a controversial political atmosphere, Mutharika was charged with treason following attempts to install himself contrary to the constitution.
He was later elected president in 2014, positioning himself as a builder of significant infrastructure projects amidst economic challenges.
Despite presiding over a government marred by corruption scandals, Mutharika was credited with reducing inflation considerably during his first term.
In 2019, after a contentious election, Mutharika lost to Chakwera, who won based on claims of electoral mismanagement. The Constitutional Court's decision to annul the election was viewed as a landmark moment in Malawian democracy.
His latest candidacy surprised many, with Mutharika arguing that the Malawian people were suffering under Chakwera's leadership, where inflation and poverty soared.
Mutharika's returns to presidential power reflect a nation heavily anticipating change. The general sentiment among his supporters suggests a belief that Mutharika can deliver the economic revival that Malawi desperately needs amid current crises.
With significant political and economic challenges ahead, the nation will be keenly watching to see if Mutharika can make good on his promises to bring better times to Malawi.
