Former President Peter Mutharika is on the verge of a victory in the presidential election, according to official results released by the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) from 24 district councils.

Mutharika, the leader of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), has secured a commanding lead with 2,022,879 votes, placing him well ahead of his main contender, incumbent President Lazarus Chakwera, who has garnered 729,425 votes.

The results, show Mutharika’s DPP taking the lead in 21 of the 24 councils tallied so far.

According to MEC statistics, a total of 4,689,172 people voted in the election held last Tuesday, representing a 65.10 percent voter turnout.

The final official results are still pending from 12 district councils, which include Karonga, Nkhata Bay, Kasungu, Mchinji, Dedza, Lilongwe, Ntcheu, Mangochi District, Mangochi Municipal, Phalombe, Blantyre District, and Chiradzulu.

The Malawi Electoral Commission is set to announce the official winner tomorrow.