By Noela Ebob B.
The 2018 presidential election in Cameroon will soon be history, as electors went to the polls on Sunday October 7 to decide who will man the affairs of the nation for the next seven years. Results are being highly awaited, amidst self proclamations, such as that of Prof Maurice Kamto.
Worthy of note is the fact that the total number of registered voters witnessed a drastic drop as compared to the last presidential elections of 2011, (for instance, from 500.000 t 65.000 voters in the South West). However, the number one aspect which history has recorded has been the boycott of opposition political parties’ campaign in the South West and North regions.
The lone party which did campaign in the two regions was the ruling Cameroon, People’s Democratic Movement of incumbent Biya, though the campaign were limited principally to Bamenda and Buea under very tight security. Other places like Mamfe, Kumba, Limbe, Kumbo etc hardly received or even had a glimpse of the campaign trail, and the effervescence which usually characterized such campaigns in past years, was totally absent across the two regions.
Also, in terms of campaign gadgets, only those of the CPDM could be viewed timidly circulating around the regions.
According to Territorial Administration boss Paul Atanga Nji, “During the campaign of the presidential elections, different reports observed a weak coverage of the national territory by most of the candidates for the elections. For instance, only one political party succeeded in sustaining campaigns in 340 sub-divisions. Others barely got to over 100 subdivisions and concentrated themselves basically in divisional and sub-divisional headquarters and in urban areas”.
The Minister continued that “In spite of the security measures put in place by the state in the North West and South West regions, it was observed that 8 candidates did not deem it necessary to send their campaign teams to those regions, which is regrettable”.
Well, it could be said that Akere Muna of the NOW MOVEMENT and flag bearer of the Popular Front for Development party (though he will go ahead to ally with Maurice Kamto), did make a stop in Limbe, some have held it was merely a brief stop, and nothing like a campaign in the real sense of the word, for, they hold, he had merely passed by to Douala, where he pulled a huge crowd.
All the other opposition candidates (including those from the South West and North West) simply concentrated their campaigns elsewhere, except in the South West and North West.
What could be the reason(s) behind the boycott?
Majority fingers point to the disturbing socio-political tensions which continue to surround the two regions, for its effects have brought panic, fear and confusion. This has got many inhabitants fleeing, leaving homes, streets, localities etc deserted. The remnant population continues to live behind locked doors. Therefore, the fact that there was no ready population to engage in the campaign ambiance may have caused the candidates not to bother.
Of course, their security was important to them, and the constant news of gunshots, deaths, sporadic attacks, kidnappings etc must have given them fright, for they must be alive and free on Election Day.
Some pundits held their boycott was due to the fact that they were sympathizing with the secessionists.
Also, others went financial, to say the FCFA 15 million wasn’t such an amount enough to have ground-breaking campaigns all through the entire country, hence, the opposition parties only struggled to go where there was ready market (Douala, Grand North, South etc).
The outcome of the election will be pronounced by the Supreme Court in the days ahead.