Inside stormy CAMASEJ Limbe elections

By Nchendzengang Tatah

A series of exchanges on several public WhatsApp forums about the elections of executives into the Limbe branch of the Cameroon Association of English Speaking Journalists (CAMASEJ) came to public interest after an initial scheduled election on February 15, turned bloody. Noela Ebob Bisong was to face incumbent Kuma Honore.

Video footages of violent arguments and the floor with spilled blood surfaced. CAM10 radio/TV editor-in-chief Ikome Charles Abane, was hit on the head with a chair. Tony Awa, the discipline master of the outgoing executive who carried out the act, explained that it was not his intention to harm.

How it turned bloody

Tony said the act was in self defense when three members had approached to attack him. The whole scene according to his narration began after he was assaulted in the corridor by Clextus Abong, a CAMASEJ Limbe member for evicting him from the group’s WhatsApp forum. No one has been able to verify this claim. Nevertheless, inside sources say atleast ten members were evicted from the associations WhatsApp forum. Tony Awa had said in an earlier outing that, it was a move to create order as tensions escalated on the platform.

The evicted members for their part, said the ousting was a move to stifle their voices and favour the incumbent. All these added heat at the election venue to the issue of eligible voters. In a separate video pictured at the hospital ward, the victim Ikome Charles is seen with a plastered face. He explained that, not only was he hit but his phone was destroyed beyond repair as he showed what remained of the device.

Abong’s submission

Abong Clextus when approached by CNA for clarity, said the dispute between him and Tony Awa erupted when he was removed from the Limbe CAMASEJ forum after questioning why members who were concerned about the elections were being thrown out. Though Abong noted that he was reinstated few minutes later, he also hinted that he exited himself for having been disrespected. Abong further said, he had only approach Tony on the election venue asking why he had been disrespected on the forum.

Concurring that he first began talking to Tony at the corridor, he denies having punched Tony before or after or even tore Tony’s dress. CNA has not seen pictures of the torned dress. According to Abong, he was punched by Tony when other members had joined him to question Tony’s actions when they walked into the hall. In addition, Abong Clextus recalled that Tony Awa approached him when there was calm and apologize that evening of the elections. He however, expressed surprised at Tony’s explanation in a video later accusing him, Abong of tearing his dress and punching him. Abong Clextus is a senior member of the press corps in Limbe. He currently is editor-in-chief of the Limbe based Eden Newspaper.

Constitution vs electoral guidelines

The bone of contention resides around the election guidelines and the association’s constitution. Erstwhile Secretary General of CAMASEJ Limbe, Aminateh Nkemngu explained that, the new election guidelines established that only those active, who had paid dues in 2024 will be admitted into the electorate. While the association’s constitution in Article 15, he pointed out stipulated that members who were up to date with their financial accounts could vote.

He argued that the CAMASEJ constitution gives an open cheque and has been the case in several elections he has observed through out his over two decade membership of the association. Abong Clextus informed us that sixty-five members had paid in their 2025 dues by election date. He said election officials had rather preferred to go by the 2024 list of forty-eight. This was a major problem which chopped up a good portion of the planned time. Interventions and clarifications we are told went until 6pm, end time of administrative order authorizing the gathering. The elections were therefore postponed.

Way forward

The unsuccessful CAMASEJ Limbe elections will most likely be scheduled in upcoming days. However, many have been handing in proposals on how to stabilize the situation. Tarhyang Tabe, erstwhile president of CAMASEJ Limbe is of the opinion that the national executive should take in the two lists of the candidates aspiring. Evaluate the credentials of it’s constituents and establish that highly scored to run affairs for the next four years.

Others have insisted that an election should hold. Clextus Abong feels that the election should be scheduled after the registration and due payment window for 2025 closes on March 31. Moreso, all who have paid dues this 2025 should be allowed to vote and be voted for. Secondly, he thinks the national bureau should put inplace a care taker committee as the outgoing CAMASEJ Limbe leadership he felt had come to it’s logical end. The CAMASEJ National Bureau, in a February 18 internal memo, regretted the incident and informed that hospital bills of the affected Mr Abane Charles will be handled by the association. Taking responsibility for the action, the letter also stated investigation to be on course.