Just five years after being dramatically unseated by a court ruling, Peter Mutharika is set to return to power as the president of Malawi.
Mutharika, who held the top job from 2014 to 2020, seems to have triumphed in last week's general election, usurping his long-time rival, President Lazarus Chakwera.
Mutharika told voters on the campaign trail that life was simply better under him - Malawi has experienced one of its worst ever economic downturns since Chakwera took office.
But the record of 85-year-old Mutharika has its own blemishes, from corruption allegations to the debacle that ended his first presidency.
This is the fourth time he has run for office, but initially, Mutharika did not intend to go into politics.
Born in 1940 in the tea-growing region of Thyolo, he was raised by two teachers and developed a love for education.
I grew up in a family where my parents were educators, and myself I spent all my life in higher education, at seven universities on three continents, Mutharika commented in 2017, during an address at the UK's Oxford University.
Mutharika attended Dedza Secondary School, an institution in central Malawi known for nurturing notable politicians, and studied law in the 1960s at the prestigious Yale University in the US.
He went on to become a professor, building an expertise in international justice. Mutharika spent decades away from Malawi teaching at universities in the US, Tanzania, Uganda and Ethiopia.
Mutharika pivoted to politics in 2004 when his brother, Bingu, became Malawi's president, and eventually served in various cabinet positions.
Mutharika scaled the heights of power relatively peacefully, but tensions emerged in 2010 amid reports that Bingu planned to name his brother as the DPP's presidential candidate for the 2014 elections.
However, the succession plans were abruptly interrupted in April 2012 as the president suffered a cardiac arrest and died.
Mutharika paid tribute to the late leader at his funeral, describing him as my brother, my friend and also my hero.
With the presidency vacant, a power struggle ensued. Malawi's constitution stipulated that if the head of state dies in office, the vice-president takes over, but Bingu had fallen out with his vice president, Joyce Banda, over plans to install his brother.
Ultimately, Banda prevailed and became Malawi's first female president.
Mutharika was charged with treason after being accused of a plot to delay the announcement of his brother's death to maneuver into power, but the charges were later dropped.
Mutharika's first term was marked by significant infrastructure improvements and a drop in inflation; however, it also faced blackouts and food shortages.
His political comeback comes as the country grapples with unprecedented economic challenges, forcing many Malawians into extreme poverty.
Though concerns linger regarding his age and political record, Mutharika's victory indicates a shift in public sentiment as people express a desire for change amidst current hardships.
