By Etienne Mainimo Mengnjo
89-year-old Senator Marcel Niat Njifenji has been re-elected as the President of the Cameroon Upper House of Parliament. Senator Niat Njifenji was re-elected during a plenary sitting on March 22 in Yaounde.
The senator from the West Region of Cameroon, representing the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) party, was re-elected for the 11th consecutive time by a comfortable majority.
According to election results, the new president, who was voted in accordance with the law, obtained a total of 91 votes out of 95 against four null ballots. Despite his frail health, Senator Niat Njifenji, who has headed the Senate since its inception in 2013, will continue his mission.
His re-elections come shortly after Cavaye Yiguié Djibril was re-elected as President of the National Assembly for the 32nd time.
Senator Niat Njifenji is expected to celebrate his 90th birthday in October. He was born on October 26, 1934, in Bangangté, West Region of Cameroon. The engineer, who has been a civil servant since 1960, was Director General of ENELCAM, defunct SONEL, and later Minister of Urban Planning before rising to the rank of Vice Prime Minister. He has been President of the Senate since 2013, following the CPDM’s victory in the 2013 senatorial elections.
Senate Elections Happened Under Controversial Circumstances
According to a source close to the Upper House of Parliament, the election of the President of the Senate took place under controversial circumstances.
Report states that only the state media and one trusted private media house were allowed to cover the proceedings that led to the re-election of Senator Marcel Niat Njifenji and other bureau members.
The first Vice President, Senator Aboubakary, scored 95 out of 95 votes, winning the confidence of the senate opposition senators appointed by President Paul Biya.
However, the fact that the media were barred from accessing the hemicycle during the elections raises many questions about the proceedings. Many who spoke to The Post expressed dissatisfaction with the way things are being handled in the country.
Some political pundits have questioned Senator Niat Njifenji’s health, which is deteriorating, and raised concerns about whether he will be able to handle the Upper House as well as fulfill his role as the constitutional successor of the President of the Republic.
Senator Niat Njifenji returned to the country a few weeks ago after last being seen in public since November 2023 during the November session of Parliament.
His prolonged absence had fueled rumors and concerns about the exercise of power at the top of the State, given that he is the second most prominent figure in the State after the President.
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