Voting for Cameroon’s regional elections began early Sunday, with polling starting nationwide at 8 a.m. (0700 GMT) and set to end at 6 p.m. (1700 GMT) local time.

In the capital Yaoundé and commercial capital of Douala, a Xinhua reporter observed on site that municipal councilors and traditional rulers who make up the electoral college queued outside polling stations.

Officials of the national electoral body, Elections Cameroon, told Xinhua that voting which took place in 58 divisional headquarters of the country began “without any problems.”

Municipal councilors and traditional rulers will elect 900 regional councilors to serve five-year terms, with 90 in each of the country’s 10 regions.

The ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement has submitted candidates in all 58 electoral constituencies and is running unchallenged in several of them.

In 2020, Cameroon held its maiden regional election.

Source: Xinhuanet

Two days before the planned convention of the Mouvement pour la renaissance du Cameroun (MRC), the divisional officer of Yaoundé IV formally prohibited the gathering through an order issued on November 27. The administrative authority justified the ban by citing a “serious threat of public disorder” linked to the opposition party’s event.

Faced with this decision, the MRC leadership was forced to postpone the assembly. Mamadou Mota, the party’s interim president, announced that the meeting would be rescheduled to a later date. The setback is significant for the party, as the extraordinary convention of November 29 was expected to renew its executive board, notably marking the return of Maurice Kamto as president.

Kamto’s planned return to the MRC leadership

Maurice Kamto, the MRC’s emblematic leader, stepped down in July to avoid a conflict with the law when he ran in the October presidential election under the banner of Manidem. With no local elected officials, the MRC could not nominate a presidential candidate. Manidem, led by Anicet Ekane, agreed to sponsor Kamto on the condition that he formally join the party. To avoid belonging to two political parties at once, he handed the MRC presidency to first vice-president Mamadou Mota.

A leadership race without internal competition

The November 29 convention, which opened executive positions to competition, received only one candidacy for the presidency: Maurice Kamto’s. The assembly was therefore expected to confirm his return as party leader, closing the chapter opened by his temporary departure during the presidential race.

With the authorities’ decision to block the convention, a period of uncertainty opens for the MRC, which had intended to use the meeting to clarify its leadership and internal structure.

For the party, the convention was crucial to reorganizing ahead of the 2025 legislative and municipal elections. The administrative block comes at a decisive moment, just as the MRC sought to reposition itself on the political scene.

For the ruling camp, the stakes lie in keeping the MRC out of an upcoming local election cycle seen as challenging. The governing party recently posted its weakest result in more than thirty years in the latest presidential election.

Source: Sbbc

From his base in self-imposed exile, opposition ace Issa Tchiroma Bakary is not giving up on his position as the legitimate occupant of the Cameroonian presidency.

This is almost two weeks after Tchiroma’s former ally President Paul Biya, 92, was sworn in for an eighth term in office which he had occupied since 1982.

The former railway engineer worked under Cameroon’s second president as employment minister between 2019 to 2025 and previously communication minister from 2009 to 2019 and that of transport from 1992 to 1996.

Far from being daunted by Biya clinging onto power, Tchiroma continues to see himself as the legal holder of the “elected President of the Republic” and has since appointed Alce Nkom as his official spokesperson.

The 76-year-old is reportedly living in exile in an unnamed neighbouring country and is said to be busy restructuring what he calls the “Elected Presidency of the Republic” by making new appointments.

According to a “decree” of appointment dated November 17, 2025, and reviewed by the APA (African Press Agency), Nkom, a prominent defender of fundamental freedoms in Cameroon and a leading member of civil society, is authorised “to speak on behalf of the President-elect and to represent his positions in institutional, diplomatic, and media exchanges.”

On November 9, Issa Tchiroma issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Biya regime to release all prisoners arbitrarily arrested over their opinions or ”for supporting the truth”.

He warned: “After 48 hours, you will bear the consequences.” This appointment comes amid a climate of profound political crisis. On November 6, Paul Biya, 92, was sworn in before both houses of Parliament meeting in congress in Yaoundé, beginning a new term after more than four decades at the head of the country, since 1982.

According to the official results proclaimed by the Constitutional Council on October 27, two weeks after the October 12 election, Mr. Biya received 53.66 percent of the vote, compared to 31.19 percent for Mr. Tchiroma Bakary of the National Salvation Front of Cameroon (FSNC).

Contesting these results, the leader of the FSNC declared that there are now “two presidents”: “the one elected by the Cameroonian people, which is me, and the one appointed by the president of the Constitutional Council, whom you know.”

Mobilisation and allegations of violence

The document signed by Mr. Tchiroma Bakary refers to “the sovereign will of the Cameroonian people expressed during the presidential election of October 12, 2025” and evokes “the institutional
hostage-taking preventing the full and free expression of this sovereignty.”

In a video message posted on Facebook on Wednesday, November 5, the opposition leader praised the success of the “ghost town” day he had called for, stating that “nearly a hundred of our children fell on the field of honour so that we might regain our freedom.”

However, no official figures have been released by the Cameroonian authorities.

The decree emphasises “the need for clear, legitimate and responsible communication from the elected presidency to national and international public opinion,” a mission now entrusted to Ms. Nkom, known for her commitment to the defense of human rights.

Source: APANews

Issa Tchiroma Bakary, has declared himself President-elect following the disputed October presidential election.

He has also announced the appointment of a prominent lawyer and civil society advocate, Maître Alice Nkom, as his official spokesperson.

In a statement released on Monday on his verified social media handle, Tchiroma issued a decree under the title “President-Elect of the Republic” designating Nkom to speak on his behalf.

“Me Alice Nkom, a lawyer at the Bar of Cameroon, a defender of fundamental freedoms and a prominent figure of civil society, is appointed as the Official Spokesperson for the President-Elect of the Republic of Cameroon,” the decree read.

According to the announcement, Nkom is authorised to represent Tchiroma’s positions in institutional, diplomatic and media exchanges, and to coordinate communication for the Presidency-Elect.

He added that the appointment was with immediate effect and will be communicated to national and international partners through appropriate channels.

Tchiroma justified the move by citing what he described as “institutional hostage-taking” that hinders the free expression of the people’s will, insisting that his declaration reflects the sovereign choice of Cameroonians in the October 12 poll.

Nkom, widely respected for her human rights advocacy and defence of civil liberties, is expected to give greater visibility to Tchiroma’s camp as Cameroon grapples with heightened political tensions following President Paul Biya’s swearing-in for another term.

Meanwhile, the Cameroon News Agency reported that she has welcomed her appointment in a Facebook post, quoting her as saying, “Today, a new page opens for our country. The President-elect, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, has called upon me to assume the responsibility of spokesperson for the President-elect’s Office.

“I have accepted with respect, with seriousness, and with a profound sense of duty. This mission is not that of one woman alone. It belongs to the Cameroonian people, to their sovereign will, to their desire to take control of their destiny.”

“I commit to: faithfully carrying the voice of the President-elect, sharing his vision with clarity, defending the truth with consistency, serving every Cameroonian man and woman with loyalty.

“It is with humility and determination that I take part in this decisive stage, to accompany the change that the people expect and deserve. The voice of the President-elect will be strong. My word will be clear.

“The truth will be non-negotiable. And Cameroon enters an era of courage, responsibility, and transparency.”

Source: Daily Trust

Throughout history, great thinkers and psychologists have wondered why people prefer to live with illusions rather than confront painful realities. In A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance, Leon Festinger observed that when our beliefs or actions clash with reality, we experience deep psychological discomfort. To avoid this discomfort, humans often distort facts because fabrications offer emotional comfort. As long as the truth threatens one’s character and outlook, illusion will always remain a harmless shelter.

Nowhere are a people more tied in collective delusion than in Cameroon, where many citizens honestly believe they live in a democracy. This delusion has been evident since 92-year-old Paul Biya was declared the victor in last month’s presidential election. Earlier today, 6th November 2025, Mr Biya was inaugurated to serve seven more years as president of the republic. A term he will complete at 99. During the ceremony, the nonagenarian was being instructed by one of his caregivers on what to do because Mr Biya evidently was unaware of what was happening around him- a shocking, pathetic and sorry indictment of all Cameroonians.

Since the election, many have taken to social media to voice their anger and disappointment at ELECAM for rigging the election. These petitions sound like noble calls for transparency in a democratic society. However, truth be told, Cameroon is far from a democracy, and pretending otherwise is the height of delusion and naivety. The inaugural charade of a care-home resident as president of the country proves my point about this collective naivety and delusion. To add insult to injury, the inauguration ceremony took place in absolute peace, with no protests whatsoever.

Cameroon possesses, on paper, some practices of democracy like regular elections and multiple political parties. These trappings have deceived many into believing the country’s political system is a democracy. Any serious student of politics knows that elections alone do not make a democracy; they are merely one of its instruments. Since 1990, the ruling CPDM party has vigorously promoted the image of democracy through its state-controlled media. As the old saying goes, a lie told repeatedly enough becomes the truth.

In reality, Cameroon’s so-called democracy is a façade designed to appease the international community and pacify citizens who still cling to the illusion. By most comparative political standards, Cameroon is an electoral authoritarian regime. The system blends the institutions of democracy on paper with the practices of dictatorship in practice. In such regimes, elections are manipulated, opposition is allowed but ostracized, the media is censored, and establishments like the judiciary and ELECAM lack independence.

ELECAM is not an autonomous electoral body. It is an extension of the ruling party’s machinery. Expecting transparency from it is like asking a mirror to reflect anything other than your own image. There are credible reports that ELECAM paid CFA Frs 300,000 ($550) “bonuses” to its low-ranking employees and much more money to senior employees shortly before last month’s elections. Cameroonians must stop legitimizing empty institutions like ELECAM by expecting them to act against their nature. Cameroon needs an awakening, and the time has come to tear off the mask.

What the CPDM syndicate is operating is deception, not democracy. Cameroon is a tragedy and a nation living in denial. Only when Cameroonians summon the courage to confront this truth and reject the comforting lie that they live in a democratic state will the possibility of real democracy become a reality. Change in Cameroon will not come through the ballot box because Cameroon is not a democracy. This collective democracy delusion must stop.

By Isong Asu

The Minister of Communication Rene Emmanuel Sadi on Monday condemned violent post-election protests and acts of civil disobedience, vowing that effective measures will be taken to restore order.

Sadi, also the government spokesperson, said violent protests following the country’s Oct. 12 presidential election had led to the destruction and looting of property.

“Those responsible for the disturbances, caught in the act of committing their crimes, have been arrested,” Sadi said in a statement.

The statement was released as a civil disobedience campaign launched by the opposition left much of the Central African nation’s streets largely deserted at the start of the working week on Monday.

Opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who won the election, had called for a three-day nationwide “ghost town” protest from Monday to Wednesday, encouraging people to stay at home and suspend all activities as a form of peaceful resistance.

Sadi warned that such calls for civil disobedience are likely to “sow disorder and insecurity,” and urged residents to ignore them.

The so-called President-elect, Paul Biya, will be sworn in this week.

By Rita Akana with files from Xinhuanet

Issa Tchiroma Bakary had already been removed and “escorted to a safe location”, before state defence and security forces surrounded his residence in a way that looked like an undeclared house arrest.

“A leader does not offer himself to be arrested,” a source said in a deep background briefing in Garoua.

“He has to be at a safe and secure location to coordinate the movement for the restoration of the people’s victory, stolen in favour of Paul Biya,” the source went on.

“Without the leader, protests can go out of hand. People are deeply angry. They are expressing themselves. They can go overboard. The leader has to be at a safe and secure place to coordinate and guide them.”

The source added: “Imagine a scenario where President Tchiroma is captured. Can you imagine how that would incense the population and what could be the outcome?”

Tchiroma was taken out of his Marouare residence in Garoua on the night of 28-29 October. A 31 October post on his “Tchiroma 2025” Facebook account reads, “I thank the loyalist army, which has shown its patriotism by escorting me to a safe location and is currently ensuring my protection.”

Midmorning on 29 October, gendarmes stormed Tchiroma’s quarters. Concordant testimonies by his vanguards outside his compound and private security personnel guarding other compounds in the neighbourhood confirmed there were gunshots around Tchiroma’s compound that morning. No one was hurt.

That attack last week Wednesday, came the day after the Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, in a press briefing in Yaounde, warned that Tchiroma would be dealt with for inciting “post-election violence”.

On 30 October, soldiers in fours, fives and sixes in combat attire and carrying guns were seen jumping off military vehicles at different parts of the Marouare residential quarters where Tchiroma lives. It looked like a raid. From either side, their manoeuvres pointed in the direction of Tchiroma’s neighbourhood. It is not certain what their mission was.

On Friday and Saturday, the soldiers set up makeshift sentry posts within 50 metres of Tchiroma’s residence on all sides. That was seen as a way of restricting his move, a kind of informal house arrest.

It was the first time soldiers, described as “third degree force” used mainly for serious combat operations beyond the competence of police (first degree) and the gendarmes (second degree) were seen in the neighbourhood since the election day and post-election tensions gripped Garoua.

Prior to that day, only police personnel were seen at various junctions. They generally did not restrict movement around Marouare. But from mid last week to the weekend, especially on 30 October, they prohibited access to motorbikes, vehicles and even pedestrians who did not proves they were resident in the neighbourhood.

On 27 October, the day results of the presidential election was proclaimed, snipers shot two of Tchiroma’s vanguards from the balcony of the nearby residence of Yerima Dewa, former FSNC comrade who resigned from FSNC after Tchiroma declared his intention to run for president. One of those shot died on the spot.

This is not the first time Tchiroma is taken away from perceived danger. On 12 October, Election Day, his vehicle was intercepted by state security forces. His mob of supporters, believing the forces meant to arrest him, found a way of snatching him away. That day, a voice in a video circulating on social media said “the population had rescued Tchiroma from abduction by the forces of law and order and moved him to a secure place.”

After that incident, scores of youths volunteered to provide security around his compound. Some observers described them as a human shield that would have to be killed in numbers in case of an attempt to arrest or abduct Tchiroma.

By Franklin Sone Bayen