The 2025 regional council and local authority elections in Namibia saw the Swapo Party establish a significant preliminary lead on Thursday night, with the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) confirming its victory in 56 constituencies before midnight. ECN chairperson Elsie Nghikembua announced these initial results, noting that while counting and verification were complete in most areas, processes were still underway in regions like Kavango East and Omusati.

According to the ECN's latest figures, the Swapo Party demonstrated strong early leads across numerous constituencies. This included securing comfortable margins within the Oshana region in areas such as Okaku, Okatana, Okatyali, and Uukwiyu. Nationally, Swapo led in 12 out of the total 14 regions in the regional council elections, underscoring its widespread dominance. The ruling party also showcased its strength in the Erongo region, successfully retaining the Arandis, Karibib, and Omaruru constituencies. Furthermore, Swapo made notable gains by regaining territory in Walvis Bay Rural and Swakopmund, constituencies that were previously held by the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC).

While Swapo maintained its robust lead, opposition parties and independent candidates also recorded significant showings in specific areas. The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) notably improved its performance from 2020 by winning the Okakarara constituency from the National Unity Democratic Movement (Nudo), with its candidate Kapika Tjazerua securing a decisive victory. Nudo, however, successfully retained the Otjinene constituency. Elsewhere, Swapo led early polls in Epukiro, Gobabis, and Kalahari. In the Kavango East region, independent candidate Mbangu Paulus emerged with a strong lead in the Rundu Rural constituency, polling 3,057 votes, while Swapo's Laurentius Mukoya secured a win at Ndiyona with 1,616 votes. Competitive races were also observed in the Zambezi region, particularly at Linyanti, where Swapo's Progress Mabate garnered 1,499 votes, narrowly ahead of independent candidate Ivene Kabunga who received 1,438 votes.

The national aggregate regional council vote count further solidified Swapo's position, showing the party leading with 29,280 votes. The Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) followed with 5,693 votes, and independent candidate Mbangu Paulus recorded 3,057 votes. The ECN reassured the public that additional results from across the country would be released as the verification process continued.

In light of these preliminary results indicating Swapo's strong performance, former United Democratic Front Henties Bay deputy mayor Michael Skini offered a critical perspective on the state of opposition parties. Speaking on social media, Skini contended that opposition parties should cease blaming Swapo for election rigging. Instead, he attributed their decline to internal issues, specifically "regional leadership stubbornness and selfishness." He emphasized that the struggles faced by opposition parties are "their own making," warning that "until they realise who they are, they will all disappear." This commentary highlights an internal debate within Namibia's political landscape regarding the causes of shifts in electoral power.