CCFGA wants Cameroon Barred from Commonwealth for Electoral Irregularities
By Nchendzengang Tatah
A little above ten weeks to October 12, when Cameroonians are expected to hit the polls and choose a president, the Coalition of Cameroon Federalist Groups and Activists (CCFGA) addressed a mail to the Secretary General of the Commonwealth exposing lapses of the supposed democratic electoral process. The August 1, 2025 letter to Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey pleaded the need for Cameroon to be handed a suspension from the assembly in response.
The letter forwarded by the CCFGA chair, Michael Takie to the Marlborough House pointed out four reasons why they felt Cameroon’s ongoing electoral process was marred with blemish. Firstly, the non-publication of electoral registers. The CCFGA argues that the electoral registers, which have not been published against the existing laws in force, are an attempt to orchestrate fraud by the incumbent during the presidential elections. They referenced some opposition political actors who alleged that it is a scheme to shield the illegality of underage children and dead persons contained in the list.
Secondly, the CCFGA asserted that the activities of the instituted supervisory ministry (Territorial Administration – MINAT) of Elections Cameroon (ELECAM ) – the elections regulatory agency, suggested unethical government interference in the electoral process. Paul Atanga Nji, the Minister at MINAT, is said to have displayed a significant partisan attitude in favour of President Biya and his political party, the CPDM.
Moreover, Atanga’s meddling in the political activities of opposition parties constituted another bad sign. The CCFGA statement alleged that government efforts enabled division and leadership conflict amongst opposition parties while it further fragments opposition strength through the authorisation of new parties indiscriminately.
Finally, what appears to be a scheme to oust opposition politicians and bar others from travelling was also disapproved. While this act was disclosed to target rivals whom the government deem as competent, CCFGA labelled it as unconstitutional and imbalanced. This is reflected by actions towards Maurice Kamto and Issa Tchiroma, who have either been given a tough time to be retained for the October elections or stopped from travelling to Senegal, respectively, in July 2025. They believed that the Biya regime is bent on maintaining power after over four decades, by pressuring the opposition into a harmless position.
This letter to the Commonwealth comes on the heels of an outing by the Minister of External Relations, Lejeune Mbella Mbella, reminding the diplomatic corps resident in the country of the sovereignty of Cameroon and its right to non-interference in upcoming elections.
