"Vote for you to have jobs tomorrow, so we have good access roads. Did you hear me right? Your land is a rich area. You are poor. It's through Frelimo's poor governance," Momade told supporters at a recent rally.
The other two candidates are Lutero Simango, the 64-year-old leader of the Mozambique Democratic Movement, and 50-year-old Venancio Mondlane, an independent who formerly belonged to the Renamo party and seems popular among the youth, analysts say.
Adriano Nuvunga, a social activist and director of the Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Mozambique, said the elections might lead to some surprises.
"For the very first time, Frelimo is not guaranteed it will retain the presidency because people [are] looking at Venancio Mondlane as someone who can ... not bring a magic solution, but [he can] at least associate with the suffering of the people, identify with the sentiment of the population, and articulate the interest and, hopefully, what can bring the change."
Ore says, however, that it is unclear how fair the election process, including vote counting, will be.
Nuvunga said some potential voters don't trust the ballot they cast will make a difference.
The National Electoral Commission met with about 412 international observers Friday to explain the voting system and answer their questions. The commission chairperson Carlos Simao Matsinhe assured them that every vote will count.
"The counting system is participatory because all the political parties are represented in the polling stations, so every vote is going to count, and we just hope for the best," Matsinhe told VOA after the election commission's briefing.
He also said that all voting materials should be in place by Monday and voting is expected to take place across the country including in Cabo Delgado.
More than 17 million people have registered to vote, which is three million more than the last election in 2019.