Claims that Gabriel Banzawitonde has already been selected as the APDR party’s candidate for Burundi’s presidential election scheduled for May 2027 are false and unsupported by credible evidence.
The allegations gained wider attention after being amplified by local media outlet Ikiriho in a post that went viral on 23 May 2026. However, no official source has confirmed the claim.
Burundi is preparing for a presidential election scheduled for 3 May 2027, according to the electoral calendar published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI). Candidate nominations are expected to be submitted between 16 and 22 November 2026.
So far, the only officially designated presidential candidate is President Évariste Ndayishimiye, who was endorsed by the ruling CNDD-FDD party during its extraordinary national congress in May 2026.
How the Claim Spread
On 14 May 2026, several social media accounts began claiming that Gabriel Banzawitonde, president of the APDR party, had already been chosen to challenge President Ndayishimiye in the 2027 election.
One Facebook page, operated by an individual identified as Fiston Kaberege stated that Banzawitonde would face Ndayishimiye and suggested he had vowed to prevent the incumbent president from retaining office after the next election. The claim was later echoed by another Facebook account managed by Nicolas Niyonkuru on May 17, 2026
The narrative gained further traction on 23 May 2026 when Ikiriho published a post on X claiming that an opinion poll showed Banzawitonde emerging as a serious challenger to President Ndayishimiye, even suggesting that a second round of voting could become necessary.
No Credible Evidence
A review of available information found no verifiable evidence supporting the social media claims.
There is also no credible proof that the opinion poll cited by Ikiriho ever existed. The outlet did not provide details about the survey’s methodology, sample size, organizers, or source data.
Furthermore, no official communication from the APDR party confirms that Gabriel Banzawitonde has been selected as its presidential candidate.
Banzawitonde Denies the Claim
Shortly after Ikiriho’s publication, Banzawitonde publicly rejected the reports through a statement on his X account.
He said he had not been nominated as the APDR candidate and explained that five individuals, including one woman, were still competing internally for the party’s nomination.
“I am not a candidate for the presidential election, contrary to what has been reported by Ikiriho,” he wrote. He added that the party’s final candidate would be chosen during an upcoming party congress.
Unverified Allegations About Intelligence Services
Following Ikiriho’s publication, Pacifique Nininahazwe, on his Facebook page, alleged that the article originated from the National Intelligence Service (SNR) and was intended to project an image of electoral pluralism ahead of the 2027 election.
“An article published last week by Ikiriho, a newspaper said to be close to Burundi’s National Intelligence Service (SNR), has sparked debate”, he wrote on June 1, 2026.
However, no verifiable evidence supports claims linking Ikiriho to the SNR or suggesting a coordinated effort to manipulate public opinion.
Political Context
What can be independently verified is that on 8 May 2026, five political parties issued a joint statement expressing concerns about CENI and announcing the suspension of their participation in electoral preparations until an inclusive political dialogue takes place.
Conversely, on 22 May 2026, twenty other political parties released a separate statement rejecting any attempt to disrupt the electoral process and reaffirming their commitment to participating in preparations according to the official electoral timetable.
Conclusion
The claim that Gabriel Banzawitonde has already been endorsed by APDR as its candidate for Burundi’s 2027 presidential election is false.
No official announcement from APDR supports the allegation, and Banzawitonde himself has publicly denied it. Likewise, the opinion poll cited by Ikiriho cannot be verified and appears misleading. As of now, there is no evidence that Banzawitonde has been nominated as APDR’s candidate or that any credible survey shows him as a leading challenger to President Évariste Ndayishimiye in the 2027 presidential race.
