By Boris Esono Nwenfor
BUEA, Cameroon – The National Chairman of the Social Democratic Front, SDF, one of Cameroon’s main opposition parties, has stated that unseating the country’s long-serving President, Paul Biya, does not necessarily require a coalition of opposition parties. His remarks come as political forces within the country debate strategies ahead of the next general elections, where Biya, who has been in power for over four decades, may once again be a contender.
Honourable Joshua Osih spoke after the SDF National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, which was held in Yaoundé on Saturday, October 12. The party’s national chairman cautioned that a coalition if it must exist, is not about individuals but about ideologies and political programmes.
The statement comes at a time when several political actors have been pushing for a united front to challenge the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement, CPDM, which has dominated the political landscape for decades. Some opposition leaders argue that without a coalition, it will be nearly impossible to consolidate the anti-Biya vote and prevent another CPDM victory, particularly in a political environment where fragmentation among opposition parties has been a recurring issue.
Honourable Joshua Osih agreed that for a coalition to succeed, parties involved must, first of all, present their political programmes and work towards merging them. The SDF National Chairman thinks that a coalition is not necessary to unseat Biya.
“The worst thing that can happen to a country is to have two parties coming together, one that is the Social Democratic Party that wants federalism and another, for instance, that prefers a Jacobinist state,” Honourable Joshua Osih, SDF National Chairman said as quoted by Skiwaynews.
“The two will not be able to work together and that will be catastrophic for the country. Unfortunately, the CPDM plan is working perfectly. That is, to try to make Cameroonians understand that in the absence of a coalition nobody can beat Mr. Biya.”
Constitutional change
Speaking during the NEC meeting, the SDF Chairman noted that a proposed constitutional change conference is necessary. To him, the constitutional conference will have as its focus, revisiting the country’s constitution to include Federalism.
Proponents of a coalition point to previous elections where the splintered opposition allowed Biya’s CPDM to secure comfortable wins, with each opposition party drawing support from a limited base. Some analysts have echoed this sentiment, suggesting that without unity, the opposition risks once again handing victory to the ruling party.
“…We think that we need to go into a political transition that, in our opinion, will take a maximum of three years. And that constitutional conference will be able to usher in a new social pact, a new social contract between Cameroonians. Cameroonians no longer live together and it is urgent that we bring back confidence between Cameroonians,” Honourable Joshua Osih said.
“We have the legitimacy to do so… We believe in federalism and federalism is not about geography. Some people think that federalism is to separate anglophones. Federalism as we see it, is a three-share issue, not a two-share issue and in federalism, you talk about money, geography comes secondary.”
The SDF Chairman’s bold stance has added a new dimension to the opposition’s electoral strategy. As the election season approaches, all eyes will be on the SDF and other opposition parties to see how they navigate the challenges ahead, and whether the SDF leader’s confidence will translate into electoral success.
