Following a tense private discussion reported between the two leaders earlier this week, Chakwera issued a public statement raising the alarm over the "erosion of the rule of law." He cited a surge in police actions between November 2025 and January 2026 that have seen senior MCP leaders, campaign officials, and close aides to the former president detained.

While President Mutharika maintains these arrests are strictly part of an accountability drive to recover billions allegedly mismanaged during the Tonse Alliance era (2020–2025), Chakwera has characterized them as "politically motivated intimidation" designed to dismantle the opposition.