Incumbent Paul Biya and 2018 Presidential Election runner up, Prof Maurice Kamto lead the contingent of aspiring candidates who risk disqualification due to reasons ranging from the submission of double candidacy files at ELECAM by their political parties and other leadership crises at the helm of some of the political parties that are seeking to contest the October 12 poll.
Political parties, voters and the rest of the Cameroonian population has now turned their attention on Elections Cameroon, ELECAM and the Constitutional Council as the final lap towards the publication of the list of candidates who will contest the 2025 Presidential Election begins. The scrutiny process began yesterday when the Director General of Elections at ELECAM, Dr Essousse Erik handed over to the Electoral Board of ELECAM the 83 candidacy files that have been deposited to the elections management body for the October 12. The dossiers were handed over to the Board Chairperson of the Electoral Board of ELECAM, Dr. Enow Abrams Egbe.
The phase at ELECAM will culminate in the elections management body releasing the list of candidates whose files have been validated by the body. The exercise will resultantly hand over the relay baton to the Constitutional Council which is expected to hand down the final ruling on the candidacy files especially in case any of the aspirants moves to petition ELECAM’s decision on the final list.
Following the several issues that have been raised at the end of the window for the submission of the candidacy files last Monday July 21, Cameroonians are now holding their breath as they look set to watch the drama that will unfold during the selection process which is among other things expected to see ELECAM verifying the ages of the aspirant, the authenticity and validity of their documents and other requirements.
Attention is particularly tilted towards some of the top aspirants who risk disqualification from entering the contest due to reasons ranging from the submission of double candidacy files at ELECAM by their parties and other crises notably relating to leadership crises at the helm of some of the political structures that are seeking to be on the starting block for the October 12 poll. Incumbent Paul Biya and 2018 Presidential Election runner up, Prof Maurice Kamto lead the contingent of aspiring candidates who risk getting knocked out by the dangling disqualification axe.
Aspirants facing double or more candidacy files headache
Incumbent Paul Biya of the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement, the CPDM, Prof Maurice Kamto of African Movement for New Independence and Democracy, MANIDEM, Akere Muna of UNIVERS and Jean Bayebeck of the Union of the Peoples of Cameroon, the UPC are the top aspirants facing troubles relating to the number of candidacy files that have been deposited under the banners of their political parties.
The parties under which the three are looking to contest in the forthcoming election have two or more candidacy files submitted under them, leaving them risking disqualification on that basis. The CPDM has two aspiring candidates who tabled their files under the party of flames. Incumbent president, Paul Biya who was the first to submit his candidacy files at ELECAM under the name of the ruling party, had his game plans disrupted by Leon Onana Theiller. Leon Theiller who is a CPDM municipal councilor from Monatele in the Lekie Division of the Centre Region, has challenged Biya’s possible candidacy in the last over six months.
He took Biya to court earlier this year after urging him to summon a CPDM congress during which the party’s flagbearer for the 2025 Presidential Election should be elected. Leon Theiller placed his argument on the fact that the CPDM has not organized a congress since 2011, a practice that he says has led to Biya entering the 2018 and now the 2025 Presidential Election race under the banner of the CPDM without the holding of a congress to officially designate.
Akere Muna’s UNIVERS universe also on toxic grounds
Akere Muna of UNIVERS had his plans spoiled when Membouet Chantale Adelaide deposited under the banner of the same party. Before Membouet Chantale Adelaide’s submission, the UNIVERS party had already deposited Akere Muna’s files. The structure which was the second political party to deposit files at ELECAM for the exercise, had also promised to assembly a strong coalition of some 20 political parties behind Akere Muna.
The double submission of files by UNIVERS is believed to be a reflection of the disunity that is currently tearing down the party as it gets closer to the forthcoming October 2025 Presidential Election as well as the Municipal and Legislative Elections that are scheduled to take place next year.
Three names eyeing single UPC ticket
Three aspirants have tabled candidacy files to ELECAM under the UPC. The contingent is made up of Cameroonian associate professor, Prof Jean Bayebeck, Yamb Ntimba Dominique and renown sports executive and critic, Abdourahman Hamadou Babba. The Mouvement Patriotique Pour une Cameroun Nouveau, MPCN party also saw two aspirants submitting files under its banner. The duo is made up of Shewa David Damuel and Yem Eboko Pierre Joseph.
Enter MANIDEM’s Kamto
Two candidacy files have also been deposited under Prof Kamto’s MANIDEM. Prof Kamto submitted his dossiers last week before Yebga Dieudonné entered the show on Monday July 21 when he deposited his documents at ELECAM in the last hours of the day to become the second aspirant who is seeking to run under the Anicet Ekane-led party. According to pundits, the double candidacies registered by MANIDEM is a reflection of the division that has developed within the political structure since Prof Kamto switched from his famous Cameroon Renaissance Movement, CRM to the MANIDEM party recently.
It is believed that a section of bigwigs within the party are objecting the decision of the leadership of the MANIDEM party to designate Prof Kamto for the October 12 exercise. Amidst the internal brouhaha, a recently circulated document that is believed to have been drafted by MANIDEM in 2019 seems to be watering down the claim of an internal dispute over the leadership structure of the party, resultantly watering down the party’s choice of settling for Prof Kamto as its candidate.
The said document is a 2019 mandate that affirmed the MANIDEM party’s allegiance to Anicet Ekane, the leader of the political structure who, himself, contested the 2004 and 2011 Presidential Election in Cameroon. The document indicates that the only elected representative of MANIDEM remains loyal to the faction that is led by Anicet Ekane. The allegiance is believed to have resultantly cemented Anicet Ekane’s position as the supreme leader within the party, thereby legitimizing Prof Kamto’s position as the party’s recognized flagbearer for the 2025 Presidential Election contrary to the image that is being painted by other individuals. The recent publication of the allegiance document came after the Ministry of Territorial Administration, on its official website, replaced Anicet Ekane as president of MANIDEM and fitted in Yebga Dieudonné as the leader of the party.
Disqualification axe also dangles over Cabral Libii
Cabral Libii of the Cameroon Party for National Reconciliation, the PCRN party is also facing similar headache. While Cabral Libii has deposited his files as the party’s lone flagbearer aspiring to enter the 2025 Presidential Election race, the long running leadership tussle within the party between the founder of the party, Robert Kona and its leader, Cabral Libii is believed to threaten Cabral Libii’s presence in the 2025 Presidential Election race. Cabral Libii and Robert Kona have battled over the PCRN party in the last over one year as the party braces to feature in national elections in the country in the months ahead.
The 2025 Presidential Election in Cameroon will take place on Sunday October 12 with Cameroonians going to the polls to elect the person that will coordinate the nation’s affairs for the next seven years. ELECAM is expected to launch a campaign period for the candidates at least 15 days prior to the election. The campaign window will precede the publication of the list of final candidates which is expected to be done at least 60 days before the Election Day as prescribed by the electoral code of Cameroon.
