 In 2005, Lowassa strongly backed his friend Jakaya Kikwete and the two were dubbed "Boys Two Men" because of their strong political union that eventually enabled Kikwete to defeat all his rivals within the ruling party.In 2014, Lowassa faced a one-year ban from CCM after he was accused of starting his campaign for presidency ahead of the authorized time.The ban expired in February 2015, only to be extended by the CCM Central Committee on the grounds that their final report was still not ready.