A former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank, has condemned the declaration of 93-year-old Paul Biya as the winner of Cameroon’s recent presidential election, describing the result as a “mockery of democracy” and “a brazen subversion of the people’s will.”

In a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, Frank said the announcement of Biya’s victory was nothing short of “an insult to democracy and a disgrace to Africa’s conscience.”

“The so-called results announced by the regime are a fabrication and a clear subversion of the people’s will,” Frank said. “The world must not stand by while democracy in Cameroon is strangled in broad daylight.”

The activist and diplomat lamented the brutal crackdown on peaceful protesters who took to the streets to reject what he called “the daylight robbery of their votes.”

“Innocent Cameroonians are being killed by their own security forces simply for demanding that their votes count. This bloodshed must end immediately,” he said.

“Those who ordered and carried out these killings must be held personally accountable before international law.”

Frank, who currently serves as the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East, called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the United Nations (UN) to immediately launch investigations into the killings and electoral irregularities.

He also berated the African Union (AU) for what he described as its “shameful silence” in the face of open tyranny and electoral fraud.

“The AU’s silence in the face of such blatant robbery is a betrayal of its founding principles,” he stated.

“By refusing to speak out or act, the AU is enabling tyranny and helping destroy democracy on the continent. It is this silence and hypocrisy that fuel coups and instability in Africa. When people are denied peaceful paths to change, they are pushed to desperation.”

Frank urged the United States, European Union, United Nations, and other democratic nations to impose targeted sanctions on Biya’s regime, including travel bans, asset freezes, and suspension of military assistance to Cameroon.

“The international community must make it clear that those who rig elections, kill citizens, and destroy democratic institutions will pay a heavy price,” he said. “Anything less would embolden other dictators across Africa to repeat this travesty.”

He maintained that the true winner of the Cameroonian presidential election remains Issa Tchiroma Bakary, whom he said commands the genuine mandate of the people.

“The international community must recognise this fact and pressure Paul Biya to step down,” Frank asserted.

Calling on Cameroonians to remain steadfast, Frank hailed their courage in resisting dictatorship and urged them not to surrender their future to “a regime that thrives on repression and deceit.”

“To the brave people of Cameroon: your courage in the face of tyranny is a beacon of hope. Defend your mandate, stand for your democracy, but remain peaceful and united. The world is watching, and history is on your side,” he said.

Frank warned that the world’s failure to act decisively against Biya’s regime would set a dangerous precedent that could embolden other autocrats across Africa.

According to him, if the world fails to act decisively now, it would set a dangerous precedent, “one that tells African leaders that rigging elections, silencing opponents, and murdering citizens come without consequence,” he warned.

“This must not happen. The time to act is now. The world must stand with the people of Cameroon and make it clear that stolen elections and blood-stained power have no place in the 21st century.”

Source: Sahara Reporters