Tanzania’s main opposition party, Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA), says its main priority now is to continue fighting to remove the ruling CCM government through democratic means following the dismissal of a major resource allocation court case.
The remarks were made by CHADEMA Deputy Secretary General for Mainland Tanzania, Amani Golugwa, shortly after the High Court of Tanzania at the Dar es Salaam sub-registry officially struck out a case linked to the distribution of party assets between Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar, which their detained party leader, Tundu Lissu, who was excluded from the case, eagerly fought to take part in.
Speaking to journalists outside the court premises, Golugwa said the opposition party was now focusing its energy on broader national political goals rather than prolonged legal disputes.
“Our major task ahead is fighting democratically to remove CCM from power,” he told reporters after the ruling.
The case had attracted political attention in recent months because it touched on claims of unequal management and distribution of CHADEMA resources between the party’s Mainland and Zanzibar structures.
Former CHADEMA vice chairman Said Issa Mohamed was among the figures connected to the case, alongside members of the party’s Board of Trustees.
The legal battle had also drawn attention after CHADEMA chairman Tundu Lissu sought to join the proceedings through separate court applications.
Wednesday’s ruling effectively ends one of the internal disputes that had exposed tensions inside the opposition party at a politically sensitive moment ahead of Tanzania’s next major electoral cycle.
Golugwa insisted the party remained united despite disagreements that had emerged during the court process.
The statement also appeared to be aimed at redirecting public attention toward CHADEMA’s broader political campaign against the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), which has governed Tanzania since independence.
Political tensions in Tanzania have continued rising in recent months amid legal battles involving opposition leaders, debates over electoral reforms, and growing criticism from opposition parties regarding political freedoms and democratic space.
CHADEMA leaders have repeatedly argued that meaningful political reforms are necessary before future elections, while CCM maintains that the country’s democratic institutions remain functional and stable.
