By Synthia Lateu
Some opposition parties and candidates approved by ELECAM to run in the October 2025 presidential election are calling for impartiality from the Constitutional Council regarding Maurice Kamto, whose candidacy was rejected after he filed under the MANIDEM party.
In a statement issued on July 28, presidential candidate Barrister Akere Muna expressed deep concern over the rejection of Professor Kamto’s candidacy.
“This rejection, along with others, is based on grounds that do not align with the facts nor with the provisions of Article 121 of the Electoral Code, particularly Article 5, paragraph 2,” he stated. He emphasized that “Justice must not only be done, but must also be seen to be done,” stressing the need to preserve public trust in the judicial system.
Former Minister of Vocational Education and now presidential candidate, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, also called on authorities to allow Maurice Kamto to participate in the election, stating that doing so would enhance the credibility of the democratic process.
“I strongly and firmly demand that Professor Maurice Kamto be reinstated in his rights and be granted, without restriction, the prerogatives granted to him by law, just like any political actor or citizen protected by the Constitution,” he declared.
Tchiroma clarified that his appeal was not a challenge to ELECAM’s authority but based on his belief that Kamto, given his internationally recognized legal expertise, had taken all necessary legal measures to comply with electoral requirements.
He urged ELECAM and all concerned institutions to exercise the utmost caution in handling the electoral process, and extended a message of solidarity to Kamto:
“Our political paths may differ, but our shared aspiration for equitable justice unites us. As patriots, we must together defend the rights and freedoms of all Cameroonians, ensuring that no one is excluded from the democratic contest except by the sovereign will of the people,” he said.
For his part, Mamadou Yakouba, Acting National President of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM), said Kamto’s absence from the list of 13 validated candidates came as no surprise.
“This simply confirms rumors that had been circulating for days,” he remarked.
“Given ELECAM’s partisan behavior, which we have consistently denounced and which we view as a tool of the ruling RDPC regime to block any real democratic transition, we could not have imagined that this body would go so far in its deceit.”
He criticized the justification of “multiple endorsements” given by ELECAM for the rejection, calling it a fabricated excuse.
Tomaino Ndam Njoya, the only woman whose candidacy was validated by ELECAM, also expressed solidarity with those whose files were rejected.
“We trust the Constitutional Council will carefully review their appeals and allow them to rejoin this collective movement,” she stated.
Meanwhile, a total of 35 petitions were filed with the Constitutional Council before the July 28 midnight deadline, contesting the rejection of candidacies in the upcoming election.
The Constitutional Council now has ten days to rule on the appeals and publish the final list of candidates for the October 12 presidential election.
