CameroonOnline.ORG | Yaoundé, Cameroon — The Constitutional Council of Cameroon has officially dismissed the petition filed by opposition leader Maurice Kamto, affirming his exclusion from the list of approved candidates for the upcoming October 12 presidential election. This ruling is final and cannot be appealed, effectively ending Kamto’s attempt to challenge incumbent President Paul Biya at the polls.
Kamto’s legal team has accepted the ruling, though attorney Hyppolyte Tiakouang stated that the decision “weighs more on the political than the legal side.”
“We believe the elements raised during the hearings could have led the Constitutional Council to reverse the electoral commission’s decision,” said Desiré Sikati, one of Kamto’s lawyers, in an interview with the BBC.
In July, Cameroon’s Electoral Commission (Elecam) excluded Maurice Kamto from the official list of presidential candidates. The reason given was that Kamto’s newly affiliated party, the Movement for New Independence and Democracy (Manidem), had registered more than one presidential candidate, violating election regulations.
Despite being officially endorsed by the Manidem party’s leadership, another candidate from a splinter faction also submitted a candidacy under the same party name. This confusion prompted Elecam to reject Kamto’s application.
Anicet Ekane, president of Manidem, described the decision as “arbitrary and provocative.” He urged Cameroonians to remain calm and stated that the party had already escalated the matter to the Constitutional Council.
CRM, Manidem, and the Electoral Law
Maurice Kamto, who came in second during the 2018 presidential elections, was previously the flagbearer of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM). However, CRM was not permitted to endorse a candidate this year due to its lack of elected representatives in the National Assembly or local councils — a requirement under current electoral law.
Kamto’s strategic move to join Manidem, a party with local representation, was aimed at circumventing this obstacle. Nevertheless, the internal division within Manidem appears to have undermined his effort.
Political Landscape: Who Is Running?
Out of 83 applicants, only 13 candidates were approved by Elecam to run in the October presidential election. These include:
Akere Muna – Renowned anti-corruption lawyer
Joshua Osih – Leader of the Social Democratic Front (SDF)
Cabral Libii – Parliamentarian and former presidential candidate
Patricia Tomaino Ndam Njoya – Mayor of Foumban and the only female candidate
Meanwhile, President Paul Biya, now 92 years old, remains the dominant figure in Cameroonian politics, with over four decades in power. A petition from within his own CPDM party challenging his candidacy was also dismissed by the Council earlier.
Implications and Concerns
The Constitutional Council’s dismissal of Kamto’s petition may heighten political tensions, especially among supporters who view the legal process as skewed. Kamto, a former Minister of Justice and a prominent opposition voice, remains a potent symbol of political resistance in Cameroon.
His exclusion has sparked concerns over transparency, fairness, and democratic participation, especially amid accusations that the political establishment is attempting to suppress viable challengers.
With all legal recourse now exhausted, the focus shifts to how Kamto and his supporters will respond in the run-up to the contentious October election.
