By Nfor Hanson Nchanji
So, this month, there have been wild rumours that the president of the Republic, Paul Biya, was going to reintroduce the position of Vice President. This position has been off the radar since 1972, when Cameroon abolished the federal system and introduced the Unitary State under a new constitution.
This created the United Republic of Cameroon. The role had existed during the era of the Federal Republic of Cameroon but was eliminated as part of centralising reforms. The first president of Cameroon, Ahmadou Ahidjo, abolished that position in a bid to assimilate the Anglophones, who were growing stronger and were questioning the union with La République du Cameroun.
Cameroon’s National Assembly is set to examine a draft law with constitutional implications on March 22 and 23, according to an official parliamentary programme circulating online, which CNA has seen. The document shows that the Commission on Constitutional Laws will meet on Sunday and Monday, March 22-23, 2026, to study and adopt a report on the proposed text before it is debated in plenary on Monday afternoon.
What is the significance of the Vice Presidential Position
Before 1972, Cameroon had the position of Vice Presidency and it was held by an Anglophone Cameroonian. This was to balance power between the former East Cameroon ( French Cameroun) and the former Southern Cameroons ( Anglophone Cameroon), who reunited in 1961 under a federal status.
Between 1961 and 1966, the person who held the position of Vice President, John Ngu Foncha, did not need to join the ruling party. He had created the Kameroun National Democratic Party in 1955. But in 1966, five years after the reunification, Ahidjo abolished multipartism and created just one party called the Cameroon National Union.
The position of Vice President began to be threatened because Ahidjo was the National Chairman of the Newly created merger party. When John Ngu Foncha left the Vice Presidency in 1970, the position was held by Solomon Tandeng Muna, who was shown the way out in 1972.
In an article fact-checked by Grok, between 1961 and 1972, the “Vice President’s primary duty was to assume presidential functions during the President’s temporary absence, death, resignation, or permanent incapacity, as outlined in provisions mirroring standard republican frameworks for succession without granting independent executive authority,” it revealed.
Furthermore, “the office lacked specific administrative powers or veto capabilities, rendering it largely ceremonial and subordinate to the President, who controlled federal appointments, policy, and military command.”
At that time, Foncha had an influence which came from the fact that he simultaneously held the position of Prime Minister of West Cameroon. He was also the leader of KNDP, which gave him much power.
“Political analyses described the role as weaker than pre-federation positions held by West Cameroon leaders, with Foncha unable to prevent policies favouring East Cameroon dominance, such as resource allocation favouring Yaoundé,” the research noted.
2026 Dancing the same style to the same rhythm?
There is euphoria surrounding the probable reintroduction of the position of Vice President. Due to the designation of the National Assembly President to the West Region, the Senate President to the North Region, there are high hopes that the position of Vice President, if created, would go to the Anglophones.
Despite this new development, it is very clear that no matter who holds the position, Cameroon is dancing the same “one-party” system that existed before 1990. The ruling party has an absolute majority over the National Assembly and the Senate. All Ministers pay allegiance or are members of the ruling CPDM party. And it is unlikely that Paul Biya would appoint someone far from the presidential craws. So, even if an Anglophone were to become Vice President today, there will be a need to have independent powers that will show clearly who controls what.
For this to happen, the following must be taken into consideration:
Elected, not Appointed VP
Learning from previous Vice Presidential positions, it is clear that if the new VP is not elected, there will be zero change in the power dynamics concerning Anglophones and Francophones. The Anglophones must not only feel involved in governance but should be seen taking major decisions that affect the lives of Cameroonians and Anglophones in particular.
Should the new VP be appointed, he or she cannot go against the person who appointed him or her. An elected VP will not answer to the president but to the people who voted for him/her. From the above analyses, one will agree that anything worth doing is worth doing well! The Constitutional Amendments will go well if this clause is included among the amended ones.
Again, as elections for MPs and Mayors will now be held in December or early next year, the position of VP, if created, should also be included in the list. However, having an elected VP does not mean that he or she would adhere to the people’s Will. This is because the person may still come from the ruling CPDM party.
Consider the Anglophone Conflict
For a long time, since the abolition of the federal status, Anglophones have been complaining of marginalisation. This led to rebellion against state institutions because of military brutality and the administrative mechanism that saw the Anglophone institutions being assimilated into the French system in the name of national unity.
If an Anglophone deserves that position, it should be as a gesture for new beginnings to quench the anger of the majority of Anglophones who feel marginalised in all aspects of Cameroonian life. Yes, Anglophones deserve to be president, but as the next term ends in 2032, for now, the VP post should be an independent position whose representative would be voted only by Anglophones and whose role would be deciding what is best for Anglophones. In fact, this person would be the President of Southern Cameroons while acting as VP of the entire Cameroon, as was the case with Foncha being PM and VP.
Reconciliation with the Past
On November 12, 2019, President Paul Biya said, “We tried assimilating their system into the majority francophone system, but because of identity differences, it failed.” This confession alone shows that Anglophone Cameroonians have a valid reason to oppose the central government in their assimilation process.
For Paul Biya to be seen as a father of national unity and reconciliation, the position of VP MUST go to an Anglophone and MUST be the “next of kin” in succession. This means that in case of any incapacity or death, the VP takes charge of the country, rules for the rest of the mandate before fresh elections are conducted. The case of Nigeria is an example of when Goodluck Jonathan Ebere ruled Nigeria when his President, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, was incapacitated. Though there were controversies over his leadership, the Senate finally ruled in his favour.
Cameroon should not wait to have the same scenario; the position of VP must be included in the new constitution with succession powers.
The Pope is coming to Cameroon in April, and before he arrives, the Vatican, through Cardinal Turkson, has made it clear that reconciliation between Cameroonians should be the main item as a gift to the Pope.
Paul Biya has the knife and the yam, the gas, the pot and the kitchen. Let him do as it pleases the nation, not him.
Amen!
