BREAKING NEWS: CNA Poll Makes Startling Revelations on Upcoming Presidential Election
Text and graph analysed by Hans Ngala, Alvin Lontum, and edited by Nfor Hanson Nchanji
CNA’s global survey has concluded, and the statistics have revealed startling and indisputable findings. Our survey sought to answer crucial questions, including but not limited to:
• Do respondents approve of Biya seeking another term in office?
• What are voters’ main concerns (voter intimidation, electoral fraud, lack of transparency in vote counting, restrictions on media, limited access to polling stations, or no concerns)?
• Who is their favorite Anglophone candidate?
• Do they want to see new leadership in the country?
• Do they specifically want an Anglophone as president? And several other questions.
Below is our breakdown of these responses:
Another Biya Term
Out of a total of 473 respondents on the question about Biya seeking an additional term, 451 were against Biya seeking an eighth term. That is 95.35 percent against the 92-year-old running again.
Voters’ Main Concerns
We sought to determine from respondents what ranked as their main concerns among the following issues: voter intimidation, electoral fraud, lack of transparency in vote counting, restrictions on the media, limited access to polling stations, or no concerns at all.
Fear of electoral fraud featured as the most prominent issue among respondents, with 31% indicating that they feared some kind of fraud from the system. The second most prominent issue was lack of transparency in vote counting, with 23% of respondents, followed by lack of media freedom at 18%, then voter intimidation at 15% and limited access to polling stations with 13%. There were zero responses as to whether anyone had no concerns at all.
Favorite Anglophone Candidate
A list of Anglophone leaders was provided, and only those who had applied to be candidates; however, some respondents added their own choices, and the list was therefore extended. The number next to each name indicates the number of respondents who favored that candidate as an Anglophone leader.
Joshua Osih 140
Akere Muna 105
Ateki Seta 6
Ambe Valentine 4
Dion Ngute 3
Christopher Fomunyoh 3
Asong Michal 2
Ayaba Cho 1
Kah Wala 1
Mancho Bibixy 1
Mbella Moki 1
Napoleon Nyake Besong 1
Ngong Jacob 1
Rebecca Enonchong 1
Sako Ikome 1
Tambe Tiku 1
New Leadership
Another crucial question for respondents was whether they favored a new president, other than Paul Biya, in the country. 438 strongly agreed that they wanted new leadership in Cameroon; 20 agreed; 10 were neutral; 5 strongly disagreed, while 0 disagreed.
Anglophone President
On the question of whether respondents wanted to see an Anglophone become the next president, 268 respondents (57%) said yes; 170 (36%) were indifferent to the issue, while 35 (7%) said ‘No’ to the question.
Freedom of Expression
Regarding freedom of expression around electoral matters, 364 (77%) believed that there is no freedom of expression in the country around electoral issues. Another 109 (23%) believed that there was freedom of expression on the topic.
Coalition
On the issue of opposition parties forming a coalition, 433 respondents (92%) said they thought a coalition among opposition parties was very important, while just 40 respondents (8%) felt that a coalition was not so important.
Confidence in the Electoral System
A majority of respondents expressed a lack of confidence in the electoral system in Cameroon. This was corroborated by the numbers, as 59% (280 respondents) indicated that they had no confidence in the electoral system at all. Another 92 respondents (19%) also indicated that they were “somewhat unconfident”. 54 other respondents (11%) said they were neutral on the matter; 30 others (6%) said they were “somewhat confident,” and just 17 (4%) said they were “very confident” in the system.
Favorite Candidates Overall
After being asked who their favorite Anglophone candidate for the election was, respondents were then asked who their overall candidate was. Respondents indicated that Maurice Kamto was their favorite candidate, with 206 (44%) of respondents choosing him.
This was followed by 104 (22%) of respondents who said they were “Undecided” on the matter.
Joshua Osih came in third place with 69 (15%) of respondents favoring him.
46 (10%) indicated that they were for “None” of the candidates.
Akere Muna was a favorite to 22 respondents (5% percent)
Cabral Libii was the favorite of 6 respondents (1% percent)
Hiram Samuel was the favorite of 6 respondents (1% percent)
Ateki Seta was the favorite of 4 respondents (1% percent)
Issa Tchiroma was the favorite of 3 respondents (1% percent)
Paul Biya was the favorite of 3 respondents (1% percent)
Asong Michael was the favorite of just 1 respondent (0%)
Ndam Njoya was a favorite to 2 respondents (0% )
Ndim Jacob was the favorite to 1 respondent (0% )
Countries Where Respondents Are Based
While the majority of respondents were based in Cameroon (398 respondents), the US came second with 20 respondents from that part of the world. The rest of the figures were broken down as follows:
Bahrain 3
Belgium 2
Burundi 1
Canada 1
Cote d’Ivoire 2
Cyprus 1
China 2
Denmark 2
Eswatini 1
France 1
Ghana 2
Germany 3
Italy 2
Nigeria 3
Malaysia 1
Philippines 1
Poland 2
Russia 1
Sweden 2
Switzerland 1
South Africa 2
Uganda 1
UAE 9
UK 9
This makes a total of 26 countries from which respondents were based.
Likelihood to Vote
Respondents were asked how likely they were to vote and:
250 (53%) said they were “ likely to vote ”
52 (11%) said they were neutral
171 (36%) said they were not likely to vote
Did You Register to Vote?
Surprisingly, the survey revealed that, contrary to hypothetical assumptions, the majority of Cameroonians still trust the ballot as a path towards change.
368 respondents (78%) answered ‘Yes ’ to the question on whether they registered to vote.
105 respondents (22% percent) answered ‘No’ to the question.
Regions of Respondents
The North West Region appeared to be the most politically conscious, with the majority of respondents coming from this region.
253 respondents were from the NW
125 were from the SW
37 were from the Littoral
35 from the Center
10 were from the West.
Continents Represented
Overall, the majority of respondents were based in Africa.
410 respondents (87%) were based in Africa
Asia 16, Europe 26, North America 21.
Biya’s Rerun.
The majority of respondents said it was time for the incumbent to have some rest and not run again in the October election. A total of 451 respondents, representing 95.35% said Paul Biya should not run again, while 16 (3.38%) remain indifferent, and 6(1.27%) were in accordance that Biya should run again.
Conclusion
The data overall reveals a clear fatigue with the current government, as the majority of respondents do not want Biya to run for office again. Also, the data reveals that even though Kamto has been eliminated from the race through various state machinations, the majority of respondents still prefer him overall as the favorite candidate. Joshua Osih’s position in third place after a good number of respondents expressed undecidedness over who could be the second-best candidate after Kamto reveals that Osih may have a hard time at the polls with voters.
Respondents do not trust ELECAM, given the responses they gave to the question on how much they trusted the electoral system. However, the fact that the majority of respondents are registered to vote is a clear indication that many are still confident in the fact that change can be obtained through the electoral system if it is free, fair, and transparent.
Beyond individual candidates, the data paints a vivid picture of an electorate that is both politically engaged and deeply skeptical about the mechanisms that govern its choices. The overwhelming rejection of Biya’s bid for an eighth term, coupled with a widespread call for new leadership, points to a collective yearning for political renewal. Yet, this desire is tempered by a prevailing fear of systemic electoral malpractice—fraud, lack of transparency, and media restrictions—underscoring the fragile trust between the people and their electoral institutions.
The figures on coalition politics are equally telling. With 92% of respondents in favor of opposition unity, there is a clear public mandate for collaborative action. This overwhelming support suggests that citizens view a united opposition as the most viable path to unseating the entrenched regime. However, the political reality in Cameroon has historically shown fragmentation among opposition parties, often to the benefit of the ruling establishment. Whether this public demand for unity will translate into actual political strategy remains to be seen.
The survey’s geographical reach, spanning multiple continents, reveals that the Cameroonian diaspora remains invested in the country’s democratic process. While the majority of respondents were based in Cameroon, the voices from abroad add weight to the national conversation, signaling that political change in Cameroon is a matter of global concern for its citizens.
Despite the climate of distrust, voter registration numbers are encouraging. That 78 percent of respondents are registered to vote shows that hope, however cautious, persists. It is a paradoxical yet powerful message: citizens may doubt the system, but they are unwilling to completely abandon the ballot box as an instrument of change.
Ultimately, the Cameroon News Agency poll exposes both the fractures and the resilience of Cameroon’s democracy. It is now up to political actors—both ruling and opposition—to respond to this public sentiment with actions that match the urgency and clarity of the people’s voice. The October 12 election may well be remembered not just for its outcome, but for whether it marked the beginning of a new political chapter or the deepening of the old order.
