By Etienne Mainimo Mengnjo
Cameroon’s Minister of Territorial Administration (MINAT), Paul Atanga Nji has strongly condemned Issa Tchiroma Bakary, Presidential Candidate for declaring himself the winner of Sunday’s October 12 election before official results have been released.
Minister Paul Atanga Nji issued the statement on October 14 after a video of Issa Tchiroma Bakary, of the Cameroon National Salvation Front (CNSF), claiming victory was widely shared online.
In the communique, Mr Atanga Nji said the candidate had acted “in violation of all legal provisions” by broadcasting the message from his home.
The Minister alleged that Tchiroma Bakary did not have party representatives in even half of the country’s polling stations.
He accused the candidate of “conspiratorial and anti-republican conduct” aimed at disrupting the electoral process.
The statement further claimed Tchiroma Bakary was part of a “diabolical plan” with “secret networks” to plunge Cameroon into “chaos and bloodshed.”
Minister Atanga Nji stated that the government reassures the public that the process would be completed according to the law.
According to the Minister the official body for tallying votes would soon submit its report to the Constitutional Council, which has the sole authority to proclaim the final results.
“Public order will be maintained and reinforced nationwide,” the communique added.
The Minister warned that Tchiroma Bakary’s “irresponsible and arrogant attitude” would be dealt with “promptly, with firmness and rigour.”
He also referenced past elections in 1992 and 2018, saying similar attempts to “sow disorder” had failed.
Tchiroma Bakary, a former minister, was reminded of a past declaration by President Paul Biya that “one must not play with Cameroon.”
The MINAT boss stated that the election was observed by 5,575 national and international monitors.
It acknowledged that some observers reported isolated irregularities but said these were not significant enough to challenge the overall “sincerity and credibility” of the poll.
Official results from the 12 October presidential election are pending from the Constitutional Council.
