By Boris Esono Nwenfor
BUEA, Cameroon – The Cameroon Democratic Union (CDU) has renewed its call for all forces of democratic change to unite behind a single consensual candidate and a common program, describing the October 12 presidential election as a historic opportunity for a “Republican rebirth.”
In a statement signed on August 14 by Hon. Tomaino Ndam Njoya, Mayor of Foumban, and the lone woman among the 13 accepted candidates for the 2025 presidential election, the party emphasised that Cameroon’s “sovereign people” deserve a genuine democratic alternative through the ballot box. The CDU pledged to work tirelessly to achieve this “vital Republican objective.”
The call builds on years of consultations through the Platform of Committed Policies for the Consensual Modification of the Cameroonian Electoral System, launched in March 2021. The platform has brought together some of the most representative political parties in the country to push for electoral reforms and a united front.
The concept of a consensual candidacy emerged during the presentation of the Platform’s web portal in Yaoundé and has since been the focus of multiple high-profile meetings, from the July 5, 2025 gathering in Yaoundé, to the August 2 conclave in Foumban, which received the blessing of one of Cameroon’s most respected traditional rulers, and a subsequent meeting at the Muna Foundation in Yaoundé.
Following an intensive three-day conclave on August 8, only four parties, PURS, PAL, UNIVERS, and UDC, remained actively engaged in the process, after other parties cited conflicting schedules. The participating parties agreed to:
Reopen the consensual candidacy process to include political leaders whose candidacies were rejected by the Constitutional Council, as well as civil society actors and patriotic personalities committed to building a “New Cameroon.”
Consolidate a common program aimed at institutional reforms and inclusive development after an expected October 12 victory, including coordinated management of polling station representatives.
The statement paints a stark picture of the country’s challenges after 43 years of uninterrupted rule by the party in power, citing deep social and economic inequalities, security threats, the crisis in the North West and South West regions, ethnic tensions, and a “state of lawlessness.”
The CDU’s message urged stakeholders, from political actors to civil society and the media, to close ranks in the Republican interest, resist intimidation and vote-buying, and work toward an “effective and sustainable structure” that will endure beyond Election Day.
“Not giving in to intimidation, threats, and conscience-buying, to put an end to arbitrariness in our country. An effective and sustainable structure beyond October 12, 2025, for the anchoring of the Republic,” the statement reads, framing the October 12 poll as a decisive chance to end arbitrariness and usher in a democratic alternative for the country.
