By NOELA EBOB BISONG
Although the Social Democratic Front SDF opposition political party, of chairman John Fru Ndi came out as the laughing stock of the 2020 municipal and legislative elections last February 9, the fight appears not yet over, as the party has been given another chance to regain its honour, at least to an extent.
Following the partial results, the SDF which for the first time occupies the third position, won just five seats out of the one hundred and sixty-seven available, far behind the eighteen seats obtained in the 2013 parliamentary elections.The present result makes the party unable to form a parliamentary group like it has always been the case since 1997.
The SDF had petitioned the Constitutional Court requesting the cancellation of the February 9 Legislative elections in some areas on issues like ELECAM’s decision to delocalise all polling stations in certain areas, leaving a few polling centres without informing the electors.
The SUN gathered that after over three hours of reported heated arguments and counter arguments by the CPDM and SDF lawyers, candidates and officials, the Constitutional Council ruled in favour of the SDF. The SUN equally gathered that the Constitutional Council frowned at ELECAM for creating polling centers in place of polling stations, at a time when government maintained the environment in the North West and South West were conducive enough for elections.
Following the ruling by the Constitutional Council for rerun in 11 constituencies in the North West (10) and South West (1) regions, there appear some glimmer of hope for the SDF to pull its toughest punches against the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement CPDM, which has almost left it empty-handed in the entire Anglophone regions.
Some areas in the North West programmed for re-run include Bui Centre and West, Menchum North and South, Momo East and West, Mezam South, Centre and North and Lebialem in the South West.
Reports equally suggest that the dust is yet to settle in some Council areas where the CPDM ousted the SDF. The SUN has gathered that the SDF has filed in 20 petitions in the North West and seven in the South West, including Tiko, Buea, Kumba I, II and III, Limbe I and III.
With the possibility of cancellation of election results in such areas, popular opinion holds that the elected CPDM mayors better restrain from celebrating victory yet. A case in point is the Tiko Council where election fraud is said to have been allegedly alarming with the military voting in hundreds to fuel victory to the ruling CPDM. Inside sources even suggest that if the CPDM succeeds to maintain its victory in the other Council areas, it just might not sail through in Tiko, where apparently the SDF has a very strong case file. The administrative courts are expected to begin hearing the cases on March 12.
While the SDF is in a positive mood concerning the re-run, reports say the party is expressing disappointment at some of its flagbearers notably the legal minds of the Buea Urban Constituency and Kumba Urban, Barristers Ikome Ngongi and Mbanya Bolevie respectively, for not filing petitions when there were ‘glaring evidences’ of malpractices in their areas which of course would have increased the party’s chances to once more try its luck in these areas.