Peter Msigwa CHADEMA’s former members of parliament, a member of the party’s central committee, and the former chairperson of the Nyasa’s zone has joined the ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM).

Msigwa’s announcement was made on June 30, 2024, during the CCM’s National Executive Committee meeting, where Msigwa was received by the CCM’s chairperson, President Samia Suluhu Hassan alongside party’s Vice Chairpersons Abdulrahman Kinana and Dr Hussein Mwinyi.

Speaking in a press after the announcement, Msigwa says he has joined CCM because the CHADEMA has become the property of one man.

“I have been a committed member of CHADEMA for twenty years, and this is because of its principles. There was a time when we saw the party that was standing for freedom, justice, democracy, and people’s development. But with time the party has become the property of one man, what he wants is what goes,” said Msigwa.

He added: “The legitimacy of criticizing CCM in the opposition is not there, as we have abandoned our principles. I see that CCM is doing a good job so far, so why should we compete while we are building the same house?”

It is worth noting for several weeks Msigwa has been opposing the CHADEMA’s internal election which saw him losing his seat as the Chairperson of the CHADEMA’s Nyasa zone which covers Mbeya, Iringa, Njombe, Songwe, and Rukwa region.

In an election that was concluded on May 29, 2024, Msigwa lost the seat to Joseph Mbilinyi, he received 52 votes while Mbilinyi received 54 votes.

Some of the complaints from Msigwa were that some of the election supervisors who were sent by the party headquarters, specifically John Mrema who is the Party’s Protocol, Communication, and Foreign Affairs Director campaigning against him. Msigwa claims that Mrema was acting under the direction of the party leadership.

It was in this election that the party’s Vice Chairperson, Tundu Lissu alluded there was corruption supported by money coming from the ruling party CCM.

Msigwa is the second figure from CHADEMA to move to CCM this year, after Upendo Peneza the former member of parliament who joined the party on January 22, 2024. Msigwa is one of the top influential figures in the party’s internal and external politics.

Several observers have started to wonder if this is the beginning of another migration like the 2018-2020 migration which saw several members of parliament from CHADEMA, including the party’s secretary general moving to CCM and receiving different appointments such as District Commissioners, Ministers or vying for their parliament seats through the ruling party.