By Boris Esono Nwenfor
BUEA, PAV – The Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) has stepped up preparations for the upcoming legislative and municipal elections in Fako Division, with the party’s Permanent Divisional Delegation calling for greater unity, discipline and a new “winning mindset” among its militants.
The call was made by Professor Nalova Lyonga, Minister of Secondary Education and Head of the CPDM Permanent Divisional Delegation for Fako, during an enlarged strategic meeting held at the Buea Council on Saturday, August 8.
The meeting was convened to translate directives from the party’s central leadership into concrete strategies at the grassroots level as the CPDM seeks to consolidate its political dominance across the division.
According to Prof. Nalova, Fako remains a strategic bastion of the ruling party, but maintaining that position will require militants to abandon complacency and internal divisions.
“We mustn’t fear. We mustn’t be complacent,” she told party militants, insisting that the CPDM must change its working methods and approach the coming elections with greater seriousness and determination. She added that the central objective is to secure a “landslide sweep” of parliamentary seats and municipal councils across Fako’s seven sections.
The meeting followed a strategic seminar held in Yaoundé on July 22, 2026, by the Secretary-General of the CPDM Central Committee. Nalova said the Fako meeting was intended to “domesticate” those directives and ensure that the party’s strategy reaches every section, subsection, branch and cell.
End factionalism, choose credible candidates.
One of the strongest messages from the meeting was a call for internal cohesion. Prof Nalova urged militants to end factionalism and rivalries, warning that divisions within the party could undermine its ability to withstand competition at the polls. “A divided House cannot withstand external electoral pressures,” she said.
She also called for a more objective and merit-based approach to candidate selection, urging party officials to identify candidates who are popular, credible, and capable of connecting with voters.
According to her, candidate selection should be transparent, balanced, and based on prospective candidates’ ability to win elections and represent local populations effectively. “No hope will be given to anyone with doubtful integrity,” she said, insisting that the party needs “adequate people for this election.”
Prof Nalova urged party structures to maintain a continuous presence among voters through door-to-door campaigns and engagement at the neighbourhood, village and community levels. The objective, she said, is to strengthen the relationship between the party and the population through social, economic, cultural and political initiatives.
With the voter registration deadline approaching at the end of August, the CPDM leadership has placed electoral registration at the centre of its preparations. Prof Nalova instructed party structures to ensure that militants and members of executive committees are registered on the electoral roll and that voter registration lists are carefully reviewed across all seven sections.
“Fako, wake up. You must wake up. No more joking,” she declared. The party is also expected to establish local monitoring structures to follow opposition activities and assess the electoral landscape in different constituencies.
CPDM targets a “super landslide”
Limbe City Mayor Dr Paul Efome Ngale, who participated in the meeting, described it as an important opportunity to prepare the party at the grassroots. He said the directives would be taken back to the various sections for further dissemination and implementation.
The Mayor also emphasised voter registration, reconciliation and stronger relationships between militants and the population as key elements of the party’s strategy.
He said the CPDM was aiming for more than its traditional victories. “We are going for the super landslide this time around,” Paul Efome Ngale said.
For Fako East MP Findi Stanley Mokondo, the meeting was an important step in taking instructions from the party hierarchy to the grassroots. He said section presidents had been tasked with transmitting the same message to branches, subsections, and cells so that the party would be ready once the elections are officially called.
Hon. Findi Stanley Mokondo maintained that the stakes were high but argued that the CPDM would rely on the quality and preparation of its candidates to retain the confidence of voters.
The CPDM’s mobilisation comes as political competition intensifies ahead of the next legislative and municipal elections. The party currently controls municipal councils across Fako and has historically enjoyed a strong political presence in the division. However, recent electoral developments have accentuated the need for renewed grassroots mobilisation and stronger voter engagement.
Nalova acknowledged that the party could no longer rely solely on its traditional methods. She urged militants to embrace seriousness, precision, teamwork and creativity while remaining faithful to the party’s organisational discipline.
“We have to know how to win,” Prod Nalova Lyonga told the gathering.
