Meet the presidential candidates of the SDF
By Nambu Bernadette Franka
Three candidates are for the first time in the history of the Social Democratic Front, SDF party, vying for the position of Chairman, without the founding father, the late Ni John Fru Ndi. The convention will be held from October 27-28, 2023 in Yaounde.
The three candidates were all retained by the SDF Investiture Committee for the race, after fulfilling the conditions to run for the office of SDF National Chairman.
The conditions included the deposit of a non-refundable caution of a fee of 7 million FCFA.
The race promises to be massive as all three candidates speak of readiness to replace the late National Chairman of the SDF, Ni John Fry Ndi.
But who are these candidates?
Joshua Osih
Hon.Joshua Osih is a 55-year-old Cameroonian politician. He is currently the vice president of the party and is the first Anglophone Cameroonian to serve as a Parliamentarian in Douala, the capital of the Littoral Region in 2013. He is also the chairman of Camport PLC in Cameroon.
Osih is a Member of the Cameroon Parliament for the Wouri Centre constituency in Douala. This constituency represents about 65% of all tax income in Cameroon, although it only has about 600,000 inhabitants of Cameroon’s population of more than 25 million. Osih is both Vice President of the Finance and Budget Committee of the National Assembly and Special Rapporteur for the National Assembly. Additionally, he is in charge of the Finance and Administration sectors of the executive. He is the Deputy General Rapporteur in charge of state income, Vice Coordinator of the Hope for the Youth caucus, and a member of multiple parliamentary friendship groups.
Osih joined the Social Democratic Front (SDF) in March 1991 in Douala. In 2002 he was elected regional chairman of the Social Democratic Front for the South West region. In 2006, he was elected 2nd Vice Chairman of the party. In 2012 and 2018, the man from Ndian Division in the South West region, was elected in both instances as 1st Vice Chairman of the party. At the 2018 Extraordinary convention of the party that concluded the party’s primaries, he was selected as the SDF’s presidential candidate for the 2018 Cameroonian Presidential election, after the late Fru Ndoi stepped aside.
As flag bearer for the SDF, he was the hope of millions of Cameroonians who have never experienced a democratic transition since independence.
On Thursday 21 July 2016 on the TV program Espace Politique aired on Cameroon state television network CRTV, SDF chairman John Fru Ndi declared that Osih would be the SDF candidate in the 2018 presidential election in Cameroon. This was confirmed in the Bamenda Congress Hall when he defeated fellow candidate Forbi Nchinda in the election to represent the SDF in the 2018 presidential elections
Godden Zama Ndenge
Ndenge Godden Zama is a 38-year-old Cameroonian and militant of the SDF party for more than 15 years after being a sympathizer for the party throughout his childhood ages.
He rose in the party ranks from ward to district and eventually became Limbe I Electoral District Chairman.
The post he has held for the past 9 years putting the Limbe 1 and other surrounding districts in the lamplight as far as the SDF is concerned.
Zama is a multi-dimensional businessman, real estate ventures, and CEO of Peddy’s Investments and Capital.
In the hit of the Anglophone Crisis, Zama was picked up and jailed for his stand against decisions of state authorities which to him affected the common man amongst other issues.
He was later released after spending 9 months in the Kondengui Maximum Security Prison.
He later received the late SDF National Chairman, NI John Gri Ndi, and many other top SDF leaders who came to encourage the then Young Zama on his stand of Power to The People and Equal Opportunity.
Zama is a Graduate of the Department of Management at the University of Buea and has traveled widely and attended many conferences and training on Leadership and Political positioning as an emerging leader.
The Grassroots politician from Alpha Club in Limbe I Subdivision is also a philanthropist and cross-cultural development expert.
He is a Family head, a title holder in his village and others, and a happy husband and father.
Shewa David
Shewa David is an entrepreneur and political scientist who is a member of the SDF. He carries out his activities in Donga-Mantung Division, North West Region.
He is the Coordinator of the party for Donga Mantung, and a native of the Ako subdivision, Donga Mantung division of the North West region.
He contested the 2013 parliamentary elections in the Ako-Misaje special Constituency under the SDF ticket and lost narrowly to the ruling CPDM candidate, Abbe Michael.
The SDF decides on October 28, 2023 and the successful candidate will replace the late Ni John Fru Ndi who passed on to glory on June 12, 2023, at his home in Yaounde.
( This report was done with additional information from Wikipedia)
