Yameen most popular political leader: Baani opinion poll

Former president Abdulla Yameen is the most popular political leader in the Maldives, according to the latest public opinion poll by the Baani Centre for International Policy.

The poll asked voters to rate six political figures considered most likely to contest the 2028 presidential election or their party’s primary.

The leaders assessed were Abdulla Yameen, President Mohamed Muizzu, former presidents Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and Mohamed Nasheed, former foreign minister Abdulla Shahid, and former MDP chairperson Fayyaz Ismail.

Respondents were asked to score each leader out of 10, with 10 being the most favourable.

Yameen topped the rankings with an average score of 5.6 out of 10, placing him clearly ahead of the other leaders.

President Muizzu ranked second with an average score of 5.3. The Baani Centre noted that the incumbent president also holds a strong net approval rating of +24 points, based on its previously published findings.

Among politicians aligned with the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), former president Mohamed Nasheed emerged as the most popular, scoring 4.9 out of 10.

Former president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih followed with a score of 4.5.

Former foreign minister Abdulla Shahid and former MDP chairperson Fayyaz Ismail ranked significantly lower, with scores of 2.3 and 2.1 respectively.

The Baani Centre, an independent think tank based in Male', conducted the poll between 23 November and 1 December 2025 using random telephone interviews.

A total of 391 responses were collected, exceeding the sample size required to achieve a 5 percent margin of error at a 95 percent confidence level. The results were weighted to ensure a representative sample of Maldivian voters.