Peter Mutharika, the 85-year-old former president of Malawi, is projected to return to power, according to unofficial election results released on Tuesday by two of the country’s largest media companies. Mr. Mutharika has won about 57 percent of the vote, far ahead of his closest competitor, the incumbent Lazarus Chakwera, according to The Nation, Malawi’s largest newspaper, and Times Television. A victory for Mr. Mutharika would mark a stunning return to power after he was unseated five years ago following just one term in office. Mr. Mutharika, a Yale-educated former law professor, was defeated by Mr. Chakwera in a historic election rerun in 2020. But voters say Mr. Chakwera has failed to deliver on his promise to revive the economy and address corruption in this highly impoverished southern African nation, opening the door for Mr. Mutharika’s return.