Senatorial election: SDF accuses CPDM of confining councilors in hotels

By Nukapuh P.

As the voting day for the Senatorial elections draws closer, candidates of the Social Democratic Front, SDF in the North West region are at loggerheads with those of the ruling Cameroon People’s Democracy Movement, CPDM.

Some members of the SDF who are the lone opposition to the CPDM in the North West region for this year’s elections have allegedly revealed that they have been deprived of meeting the Councilors, who are the only Electorates in the Senatorial elections.

In a voice message circulating on social media from an SDF Senator, it is revealed that members of CPDM have caged almost all regional and municipal Councilors in the North West region so that they can vote only for the CPDM on Sunday, March 12 in various polling stations.

“Campaign is not going on because CPDM has lodged all Councilors in hotels and deprived us of the SDF from talking to the Councilors. Is this how campaigns are done?” The Senator whose identity has been withheld for safety said.

“We are calling on them to release the Councilors so that we can talk with them. They even go ahead intimidating Councilors by asking them to take oaths to vote only CPDM..”

In the voice message, which Cameroon News Agency came across on social media, it is said that the situation is almost the same in all 7 divisions of the region.

The same voice has added that some Councilors have refused to be caged under such conditions and have decided to reveal the secret to them.

“This is not time to vote for a party but to vote for individuals who are able to lead. Our main aim of going in for the senatorial elections is to ask for payment of councilors. They should not only pay but Mayors…”

CPDM was the first to launch campaigns in the North West region, while the SDF, despite its internal problems were also able to launch campaigns a few days after, but none of them has been seen on the field.

Only the CPDM and SDF political parties are contesting for the 7 seats in this year’s Senatorial elections in the entire North West region.

Out of 34 councils in the region, 33 are under the CPDM while only one is under the SDF. Meanwhile, only municipal and regional Councilors are eligible to vote, according to the electoral law.