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2025 Presidential Election: Making matters worse

25/10/2025

There are currently massive military raids across Cameroon as the country prepares for the declaration of falsified presidential election results.

In Douala, Anicet Ekane, a leader of UPC Manidem, was arrested in his home without a warrant of arrest. Many say it was a kidnapping orchestrated by the Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, who thought threats could cower the people of Cameroon into submission.

Since the arrest of Mr. Ekane, other politicians are being picked up in night raids. The writing is on the wall. The 43-year-old dictatorship is crumbling. Many Biya regime hawks are desperate. The tides are turning and power is slipping through their fingers.

But the arrest will not change much. Monday will reveal the extent of the people’s determination to bring down a system set up by the country’s president, Paul Biya, to oppress his people and spread corruption and nepotism across the country like an out-of-control fire.

Cameroonians across the world have made up their minds to stand firm. Biya and his group of kleptocrats must leave power for Issa Tchiroma, a man who has promised to clean up the Augean Stable created by the brain dead dictator, Paul Biya.

Mr. Tchiroma also known as Hurricane Tchiroma beat Mr. Biya in the 2025 presidential elections, exposing the incompetence of regime hawks to even fraud thought they claim they are expert at it. Polling station after polling station revealed how Cameroonians hate Mr. Biya and his regime which has brought death and hardship to the population.

The Biya regime noted for its exceptional manipulative and corruption ability is not convincing anybody, not even the international community which has seen the fall of a man who had the best opportunity in the world to immortalize his name by developing his country but decided to elevate corruption and intimidation into a political system.

Today, the ruling party manipulators are at work, demonstrating and calling for peace as if there is war in Cameroon. They claim they have won the presidential election but they are shutting down bars, banning gatherings and arresting ordinary citizens as part of their intimidation strategy. How do you win elections and you are afraid of war? How do you shut down bars and night clubs when your victory is supposed to be celebrated?

The die is cast. Mr. Biya has lost the election and his time at the Unity Palace is up. The arrests and intimidation are simply the kicks of a dying horse.

The people are determined and they are standing with Issa Tchiroma every step of the way. The government’s intimidation is not diminishing the people’s determination to call for change. The time for change is now. The government has a choice. Acknowledge defeat and make the transition smooth or keep on playing old tricks and incur the people’s wrath. The trend of change is irreversible.

For Mr. Biya, he has an opportunity to clean his image or whatever is left of it. He should call Tchiroma and congratulate him and work towards a peaceful transition or stick to his old ways which will only lead to a disgraceful exit from the political scene. Mr. Biya has hurt Cameroonians and many have been pushed into an early grave by the Biya-engineered poverty.

For 43 years, he has unleashed poverty and death on people he is supposed to serve and protect. Death is a common occurrence in Cameroon today. Many Cameroonians are dealing with financial stress. Their kidneys are blowing up due to stress. Their livers are being boiled in alcohol due to frustration.

The people need change. The era of the Internet has brought enlightenment to the people and Atanga Nji’s intimidation cannot reverse the movement that is currently underway.

Biya must salvage something. He has lost trust. He has lost his reputation. He has lost his dignity. Under him, Cameroon has become an Augean Stable. He could however help himself by demonstrating that he is a man with the fear of God in his mind by doing the right thing that might change perceptions in his favor. A word to the wise is sufficient.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Yaoundé to announce presidential election results on Oct. 27

23/10/2025

Cameroon’s Constitutional Council announced on Wednesday evening that the final results of the country’s presidential election will be proclaimed on Monday, 15 days after the poll.

According to the council, results from all 31,653 polling stations will be read during a televised ceremony in the capital Yaoundé before the winner is declared.

The presidential election was held on Oct. 12.

Source: Xinhuanet

Yaoundé: Internet access disrupted as election protests continue

23/10/2025

Internet access in Cameroon is significantly disrupted as protests continue over alleged irregularities in this month’s presidential election, Internet monitor NetBlocks said on Thursday.

“We can confirm a significant, ongoing disruption to internet connectivity in Cameroon which may limit coverage of events on the ground,” NetBlocks said in an email to Reuters.

Cameroon’s constitutional council on Wednesday threw out all petitions contesting the October 12 presidential election, clearing the way for full results to be announced.

Paul Biya, the world’s oldest ruler at 92, is widely expected to maintain his 43-year grip on power despite an energized opposition pushing for change.

Protests flared in several cities after partial election results reported by local media showed Biya was on course to be declared the winner.

Clashes broke out between security forces and opposition supporters in the northern cities of Maroua and Garoua.

Source: Reuters

Demonstrate until Biya leaves, says senior opposition politician

23/10/2025

A senior opposition leader is calling on Cameroonians to demonstrate until the country’s ailing president, Paul Biya, packs and leaves the Unity Palace.

The senior opposition politician who elected anonymity said the demonstrations which must start immediately the constitutional council hands the people’s victory to a man who has ruled the country for 43 years with no evidence to show for such a long stay in power must only end when Biya escapes.

“Cameroonians must stay the course. Young Cameroonians must stay on the streets for months if their fate must change. They should be ready to walk to Etoudi to take Biya out. The Unity Palace is the people’s palace and a defeated presidential candidate must not occupy it,” he said.

“Young Cameroonians have been disrespected by the government. They get humiliated by Biya’s military when they want to demonstrate their frustration. This is an opportunity for Cameroonians to rid themselves of a dictator who has demonstrated open contempt for a people he is supposed to serve. He must be made to understand that he has overstayed his welcome,” he stressed.

“There are plans for people who will be on the streets to be fed. We are calling on demonstrators to avoid destroying state property or breaking into people’s shop. Our plan is to take Biya down and not to destroy our economy,” the irate politician told the Cameroon Concord News Yaoundé editor, Rita Akana.

“We are urging the Diaspora to play an active role in this struggle to liberate our country. Members of the Diaspora should help family members with money for them to buy groceries. We will be on the streets until the corrupt regime crumbles,” he stressed.

“We have successfully struck fear in the minds of those government officials. By voting massively against an incompetent Paul Biya on October 12, we have demonstrated that we can change things peacefully. However, if the ruling CPDM wants war and chaos, the people will deliver war to those who have dumped us into poverty and engineered the worst form of corruption in the country,” he pointed out.

“Cameroon is our country too. We have international support and let the Biya regime not think this is the Anglophone crisis. This situation is different and all Cameroonians including those in the South and Centre are sick and tired of Biya’s arrogance and corruption,” he stressed.

“We are also urging Cameroonians to avoid any acts of tribalism. This is a struggle against tribalism, nepotism, corruption and arrogance and all Cameroonians have been victims of the Biya regime. We must fight as an oppressed people against political elite who have distinguished itself through its corrupt practices,” he pointed out.

“We are aware of what is happening in the ministries and companies. Young men and women get sodomized before they are given employment. We already have a long list of directors and ministers who engage in such acts and once we take over, they will all be held accountable. We cannot tolerate impunity,” he concluded.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Cameroonian youths ready to chase Biya out of Etoudi!

23/10/2025

As ruling party officials are calling for calm, so too are young Cameroonians planning to make Cameroon ungovernable with the objective of taking the country’s ailing president out of the presidential palace.

Cameroonian youths are tired being unemployed, molested by the country’s authorities and disrespected by their government.

Cameroonian youths are tired being babies. They want to demonstrate that they have come of age and that it is their time to determine the country’s political destiny.

The calls for massive demonstrations after the proclamation of doctored election results in favor of a dying president are resonating with young Cameroonians in all the nooks and crannies of the country given that they had voted for change but the country’s election body, ELECAM, has doctored the results to favor the incumbent, Paul Biya, 96 (real age) who is suffering from acute senility.

Cameroonians have concluded that this is one election fraud too many. Cameroonians have taken a lot and they are not willing to be served by a government which has, at best, been irresponsible.

The message from the country’s youths is clear. They don’t want to deal with a government which is rich in vain promises and low on concrete actions. They are ready to chase Mr. Biya out of power if he does not respect himself. It is up to him to leave honorably if he prefers dignity.

The government has for forty-three made empty promises, always promising gold and delivering hardship. The government’s words are enticing but if you scratch beyond the surface, you see that it is a government which will never change its old ways.

Cameroonians have always heard huge figure being announced for development projects, but these projects have only been implemented on paper.

Today, because Cameroonians are united and determined to head to the Unity Palace to dislodge Mr. Biya, the lazy king, from the people’s palace, we are hearing the politicians calling for calm.

Cameroonians have heard these words every day from greedy politicians in Cameroon for forty-three years. The greedy politicians will always declare that the opposition is misleading youths to take to the streets to protest while their children are studying study abroad. The greedy ruling party politicians do not understand that what they see in other people is exactly what they can do. Ruling party politicians are not only greedy, they are manipulative.

Cameroonians who are already on the streets to protest are hungry or frustrated. It is hunger and anger against the ruling party that will drive them to the streets and many young Cameroonians hold that it is high time greedy politicians in Cameroon stopped this rhetoric which is only designed to keep them in power.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

CAMEROONIANS MUST RISE AND DEFEND THEIR VOTES

23/10/2025

A stolen election, dressed in constitutional formality, is broad daylight robbery sanctified by cowards.

“These are the times that try men’s souls.” When Thomas Paine wrote those immortal words in the winter of revolution during the American war of independence, he was not speaking to soldiers alone; he was speaking to every soul faced with tyranny and called to courage. Today, that call echoes across Cameroon. The ballots have been cast, the people have spoken, and now the nation stands on the precipice of history. Shall we stand upright as citizens, or bow once more as subjects? The hour for cowardice has passed. History will not absolve those who championed loyalty to a dying monarch against fidelity to a living nation.

Cameroon stands at the threshold of deliverance or damnation. Every Cameroonian, from Maroua to Bamenda, from Mamfe to Bertoua, from Buea to Ebolowa, must understand this truth: freedom is never granted; it is won. As Nelson Mandela reminded the world, “To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” Today, to defend your vote is to defend your neighbor’s dignity, your child’s future, and your nation’s soul.

When Issa Tchiroma Bakary declared victory; not as an act of arrogance, but as an affirmation of the people’s will; he summoned the deepest chords of our collective conscience. “The people have chosen. And this choice must be respected.” His words were not mere rhetoric; they were a covenant, a reminder that sovereignty belongs not to palaces, nor to the aged throne of Paul Biya, but to the millions who braved sun, fear, and intimidation to cast their votes.

For 43 long years, Cameroon has been imprisoned in a gilded cage of stagnation. Paul Biya’s rule has become, in the haunting words of Václav Havel, “a system so entrenched in its own lies that it no longer knows the truth.” Our youth flee across deserts and seas because home has become a waiting room for the future that never arrives. Our economy drifts, our voices are muted, and our dreams deferred – all while the machinery of state rusts under the weight of arrogance and decay.

Yet in this moment, something ancient and indestructible has stirred: the will of a people who have had enough. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. proclaimed, “There comes a time when people get tired of being trampled by the iron feet of oppression.” That time is now. Let us be clear: any attempt to annul, distort, or hijack the verdict of the ballot is not politics; it is treason against the republic. To steal a people’s mandate is to desecrate the sacred altar of democracy. As Abraham Lincoln said, “The ballot is stronger than the bullet.” But only if it is defended. For when the ballot is betrayed, the bullet is emboldened.

The Biya regime and its instruments must hear this clearly: legitimacy does not flow from decrees or uniforms. It flows from the consent of the governed. And consent withdrawn cannot be reimposed by force. If the Constitutional Council becomes the handmaiden of fraud, it will not be an arbiter of justice but a gravedigger of the republic. To the military and the security services; remember your oath. You swore loyalty to the flag, not to the man who hides behind it. “When injustice becomes law,” as Thomas Jefferson warned, “resistance becomes duty.” You are protectors of the nation, not the enforcers of one man’s vanity.

To civil society, to journalists, to the clergy: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” (Edmund Burke) Now is the time to speak truth with fire, to write with courage, to march with peace, and to refuse the narcotic of silence. Your pens, your pulpits, your cellphone cameras – they are the weapons of light. Use them. And to the international community; neutrality in the face of theft is complicity in the crime. Let no one pretend that the “electoral process must take its course” while the process is strangled in its cradle. As Archbishop Desmond Tutu reminded us, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”

This is not about Issa Tchiroma alone. This is about every Cameroonian who still believes that tomorrow can be different from yesterday. It is about the farmer in Mayo-Louti who voted for a fairer market, the teacher in Bamenda who voted for peace, the student in Yaoundé who voted for a future, the mother in Douala who voted for dignity. The world is watching. History is recording. And generations yet unborn will ask: When the moment came, did we stand or did we shrink?

So, rise Cameroonians! Stand tall as guardians of your own destiny. Defend your votes with discipline, with courage, and with peace. Let your voices be firm but your hands be clean. For as the great poet Maya Angelou said, “We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated.” The verdict of the people is not a rumor to be silenced; it is a revelation to be respected. No hand, no power, no decree must be allowed to steal this victory. The time for fear has passed. The time for courage has come. Let every heart echo this truth: Cameroon shall not sleep through its revolution. The people have spoken, and their voice must stand, sovereign, sacred, and unbroken.

By Ekinneh Agbaw-Ebai

CPDM Crime Syndicate: Eneo’s debt reaches CFA800bn

22/10/2025

Cameroon’s electricity sector is sinking deeper into financial distress, weighed down by mounting debt, underinvestment, and the fragility of its operators. According to the Energy Compact Country Report from the Ministry of Water and Energy (Minee), Eneo Cameroun, the national power distributor, recorded total debt of CFA800 billion at the end of 2024, including CFA500 billion owed to suppliers and CFA80 billion in receivables. In 2022, its debt already stood at CFA700 billion, with CFA336 billion due to suppliers. Creditors include several state entities such as Sonatrel, EDC, Sonara, SNH-Tradex, and the regulator Arsel.

A subsidiary of British investment fund Actis, which holds 51% of its capital, Eneo returned to profit in 2022 with a net income of CFA10 billion after a CFA35.5 billion loss in 2021, followed by CFA8.4 billion in 2023. However, its cash position has deteriorated sharply, falling from a surplus of CFA3.62 billion in 2022 to a deficit of CFA1.58 billion in 2023.

The Minee now considers Eneo a budgetary risk for the state, describing the utility as unable to cover operating expenses and warning that it could create gaps between projected and actual government revenues or spending. On June 8, 2023, then-Director of Electricity Lionel Omgba Oyono warned of “a high risk of payment default by the concessionaire” during a meeting with the World Bank.

Structural weaknesses and financial strain

The ministry cites multiple structural issues: limited access to financing for infrastructure upgrades, chronic underinvestment in transmission and distribution, and weak governance. Between 2014 and 2022, Eneo invested CFA320 billion, 40% of which (CFA128 billion) went into the distribution network—an amount even the company deems insufficient. Eneo failed to secure a CFA210 billion loan from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) due to concerns over its financial health and governance quality.

The company relies heavily on short-term bank loans and operates an aging network. In 2023, both technical and commercial losses reached 14%, while collection rates remained low, hampered by fraud and unpaid bills from public entities.

Government moves toward restructuring by 2026

To address the crisis, the government is preparing a comprehensive recovery plan through 2026. It includes the state’s acquisition of Actis’s stake in Eneo in 2025, a full diagnostic and restructuring plan by February 2026, and debt reorganization within the same period. A strengthened mechanism for collecting unpaid public-sector bills is also expected to take effect by 2026 to ease financial pressure on the utility.

Since 2023, electricity tariffs for medium-voltage customers (3 to 10 MW) have been progressively adjusted, with a 10% annual increase planned through 2026 to align prices with service costs. This measure has boosted Eneo’s revenue by about CFA18 billion between 2023 and 2024, or roughly $30 million.

The challenge remains significant. According to Minee, restoring the power sector’s viability will require an overhaul of the distribution system, stricter financial discipline, and infrastructure modernization. The government aims to restore balance by 2028 with three main goals: achieving full bill recovery by 2026, improving distribution efficiency to 88% by 2030, and developing a comprehensive financial model for the sector by the end of 2025.

Source: Business in Cameroon

Issa Tchiroma rejects Biya’s prime minister offer

22/10/2025

Tensions are rising between the President Biya and Tchiroma Bakary camps as Cameroon’s constitutional council must announce presidential election results by Sunday. But according to Jeune Afrique’s information, Biya has extended a hand to his opponent.

Cameroon’s Commission Nationale de Recensement des Votes declared President Paul Biya the winner with 53.66% of the votes in the presidential election, ahead of opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who took 35.19%. But the standoff continues between the two camps, as our sister magazine Jeune Afrique has information that Biya has offered his rival a government role.

Tchiroma contested the figures, and it is in this context, according to Jeune Afrique’s sources, that discreet negotiations were initiated between the former minister and the outgoing head of state, through intermediaries.

Through the mediation of North Region Governor Jean Abaté Edi’I – accompanied by other emissaries – Biya approached Tchiroma with a bold proposal: the post of prime minister.

The meeting took place in Garoua at Tchiroma’s home late last week. In exchange for the premiership and the promotion of some of Tchiroma’s allies within the government and administration, the opposition leader was expected to tone down his electoral challenge.

Tchiroma Bakary rejects the offer

According to Jeune Afrique’s information, government emissaries promised swift reform of the electoral code, to take place before the next legislative elections scheduled for 2026, in exchange for the opponent’s recognition of Biya’s victory.

The Tchiroma Bakary camp is preparing an action plan to defend his victory once the final verdict is released by the Conseil Constitutionnel

The proposal was supported by several foreign diplomats, who favoured Tchiroma accepting this outstretched hand and helping to bring about a resolution to the looming electoral crisis.

The former three-time minister under Biya, aware that his political base might oppose any arrangement with those in power and convinced of his victory in the presidential election, refused.

Contacted by Jeune Afrique, one of Tchiroma’s lieutenants said it was an attempt at “political neutralisation” by the president.

“All Issa Tchiroma Bakary demands is recognition of the truth of the ballot box,” his ally confided. The opposition leader’s team has begun publishing the minutes and a compilation of results in their possession, from which they claim to have won the presidential election with 62% of the votes.

On the ground, tensions remain high. According to our sources, the Tchiroma Bakary camp is preparing an action plan to defend his victory once the final verdict is released by the Conseil Constitutionnel, which must issue its ruling no later than 26 October. They have also enlisted the services of numerous Cameroonian and foreign lawyers.

Source: Jeune Afrique

A call for peace and patience as Cameroonians await official election results

22/10/2025

As Cameroonians await the final presidential election results, Archbishop Andrew Fuanya Nkea, the Archbishop of Bamenda and President of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon (NECC), has called for calm amid the anticipated official announcement.

In a statement shared with Vatican News, the Cameroonian Bishops’ message seems aimed at soothing frayed nerves in the country as the wait continues. Cameroon’s Constitutional Council has until 26 October to announce the results, although the leading opposition candidate has unilaterally declared himself winner.

Satisfaction with election conduct

Archbishop Nkea, who also presides over the Commission for Justice and Peace, commended the conduct of Cameroonians during the recently-held election on 12 October.

“Based on what was observed on Election Day, the National Episcopal Conference would like to express its satisfaction with the efforts made by Elections Cameroon (ELECAM) to ensure that voting took place in a serene atmosphere,” said the Cameroonian prelate.

The Truth will set you free

Nevertheless, Archbishop Nkea noted that the report of the Bishops’ National Justice and Peace Commission also highlights certain irregularities, that could seriously hinder Cameroon’s progress towards democracy.

Archbishop Nkea has since called for vigilance, continued peace, and stability in the nation.

“It is our prayer that, with the help of God and the commitment of all, our country will experience peace and stability in Truth and will emerge stronger—thanks to the contributions of millions of Cameroonians through their daily work and love for the nation. As we await the results of the elections, we remember the words of Christ: ‘Et Veritas liberabit vos’ — And the Truth shall set you free.”

Culled from Vatican News

Biya regime arrests at least 20 protesters as tensions escalate after presidential election

22/10/2025

At least 20 people have been arrested in Cameroon in connection with protests over the Oct. 12 presidential election, authorities said on Tuesday, as tensions mounted ahead of the proclamation of results expected later this week.

Cameroon’s Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, confirmed the arrest of some of the protesters in the northern city of Garoua in a statement on Tuesday, without stating when and how many were arrested. Twenty of the “several” arrested will be brought before military courts to answer for the charges of insurrection and incitement to rebellion, the statement said, while others involved in criminal acts have been taken to Yaounde for further investigations.

“The government watches with concern acts of provocation and disorder carried out by some trouble makers,” he said, claiming that those arrested were being manipulated by some political actors.

Opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary claimed victory last week and urged President Paul Biya, the world’s oldest president at 92, to concede. Biya’s party has rejected Tchiroma’s claim of victory and accused the opposition candidate of trying to disrupt the electoral process. The constitutional council is expected to announce the final official results by Oct. 26.

Analysts have predicted a victory for Biya as the opposition remained divided and his strongest rival was barred from running in August. Eleven opposition candidates were on the ballot.

Following the election, pockets of protests broke out in several cities over the allegations of election fraud.

Tchiroma alleged last week that there were signs of vote tampering, echoing civil society groups’ earlier reports of “several irregularities,” including attempted ballot stuffing.

The National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon, which monitored the election, said on Monday that the election was marked by a number of irregularities, including relocation of certain polling stations and failure to update the electoral register, which still contained the names of deceased persons. A group of eight civil society organizations that monitored the election also noted the unequal distribution of ballot papers in some polling stations and attempts at ballot box stuffing in their report.

On Sunday, Tchiroma started publishing on his Facebook page results from 18 administrative units which he claims constitute 80% of the electorate, allegedly confirming his victory. His Facebook posts have received praise from his supporters and mockery from critics and regime allies — including ministers — who question their authenticity.

Tchiroma, who is in his late 70s, was a government spokesperson and employment minister under Biya but quit the government earlier this year to launch his presidential run. His campaign drew large crowds and backing from a coalition of opposition parties and civic groups.

Biya has been in power since 1982, nearly half his lifetime, making him Cameroon’s second president since independence from France in 1960.

During Biya’s decades in power, the Central African nation of nearly 30 million people has struggled with challenges from a deadly secessionist movement in the west and chronic corruption that has stifled development despite rich natural resources like oil and minerals.

Source: ABC News

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