By TALLA AGHAA
The legal battle that ensued following the election of the pioneer City Mayor for Kumba and deputies on March 5, 2020 is far from over.
On April 9, 2020 the South West Administrative Court Holden at Buea and presided by its President, Justice Mbu Edward Osoh alongside Justice Christopher Ofon and Justice Lonje Martin dismissed a petition filed in by one of the candidates who stood for the election for the top job. The aggrieved candidate, Mewanu Gregory petitioned the court to uphold that the elections was engulfed by malpractices thus the need for a total cancellation of the polls.
While there were jubilations at the city council that the administrative court had ‘confirmed’ Ngoh Nkele as the Kumba City Mayor, things seem to have gone soar in the Council premises April 24, 2020 when news came in from Yaounde that in the days ahead the City Mayor will be appearing at the Supreme Court in Yaounde to defend yet another petition over his election as Mayor. The SUN gathered that the City Mayor won’t be appearing alone. The petitioner, Mewanu Gregory, has filed an appeal at the Administrative Bench of the Supreme Court in Yaounde against the Minister of Decentralisation and Local Development and Senior Divisional Officer, SDO for Meme and City Mayor, challenging the verdict of the South West Administrative Court in Buea over the Kumba City Council Mayoral election.
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The SUN learnt that Mewanu Gregory is alleging that the election of the City Mayor was marked by “gross irregularities, corrupt practices, and the non compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Code and the General Code of Decentralisation and Local Authorities; that there was massive bribery and corruption by Ngoh Nkele Victor as he “quarantined” electors in a local hotel and gave them money not to vote objectively and cast votes in his favour.” For these reasons, the petitioner urged the court to order for “total cancellation of election for the Kumba City Mayor and Deputies that took place on Tuesday March 5, 2020”, and for the court to order “a re- run of the elections as statutorily provided.”
However, the administrative court in Buea in its verdict said “on merits, the petition is not justified and thus dismissed same.”
It should be recalled that the Kumba City Council Mayoral elections of Tuesday March 5, 2020, had three candidates contesting for the top job including Ngoh Nkele Victor, Mewanu Gregory and Ekoko Muelle. The results of the hotly contested polls saw Ngoh Nkele Victor emerging with 38 votes, Mewanu Gregory 31 votes and Ekoko Muelle 6 votes.
Following the elections, the Pioneer City Mayor of Kumba is Ngoh Nkele Victor with Barrister Ebanja Victorine and Sako Macmillan as first and second deputy mayors respectively. No one is certain of what shall be transpiring in the days ahead, following the summon by Supreme Court.