Cameroon’s Elections a Façade, Says Retired U.S. Diplomat Tibor Nagy

By Boris Esono Nwenfor

BUEA, Cameroon – Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Tibor Peter Nagy Jr., has delivered a scathing rebuke of Cameroon’s electoral system, describing it as a mere façade designed to conceal entrenched authoritarian rule.

In an interview assessing the country’s political landscape, the retired diplomat argued that Cameroon’s elections have seen no meaningful improvement since the disputed presidential vote of 1992, often remembered as one of the most contentious in the country’s history.

"If you look at Cameroon from the front, it looks like a democracy with all the institutions of elections. But if you open the door and look behind, you start shaking your head," Nagy said.

Tibor Nagy dismissed the prevailing perception that electoral malpractice in Cameroon primarily occurs on voting day. Instead, he stressed that systemic manipulation occurs both before ballots are cast and after results are declared.

He pointed to hurdles in voter registration, biased electoral institutions, restrictions on opposition campaigns, selective arrests of political challengers, and intimidation of supporters as structural flaws that predetermine the outcome long in advance.

“Elections in Cameroon are not stolen on Election Day. They are stolen in the process leading up to the election and in the process after,” Nagy remarked.

With Cameroon's October 12, 2025, presidential election fast approaching, Nagy cast doubt on the usefulness of international funding or technical support for the electoral process, calling it a waste of taxpayer resources.

"Any international organisation or country that puts one dollar into the elections is cheating their taxpayers. I will bet anyone that the outcome is already decided – the 92-year-old candidate is going to be declared the winner, regardless of how many votes he gets," he said, in a pointed reference to President Paul Biya, who has ruled Cameroon since 1982.

Nagy, known for his sharp wit, added that contrary to speculation, Biya would not reach 100 in office. “If he completes another seven-year term, he will only be 99,” he quipped.

Drawing from his diplomatic experience, Nagy compared Cameroon’s political situation to Ethiopia’s past electoral practices, where donor countries once argued over sending observers without acknowledging the deeper flaws of the system.

“You can have a million election observers standing shoulder to shoulder, but if the government in power is not willing to have itself voted out, it won’t happen. The ruling party will win,” Nagy said.

While no longer in office, his blunt assessment of Cameroon’s political climate highlights growing scepticism abroad regarding the credibility of elections in the Central African nation. Opposition parties and civil society groups have long accused Cameroon’s ruling elite of suppressing dissent and maintaining control through institutions loyal to the regime.

Nagy’s warning is stark: the outcome may already be predetermined, regardless of what happens at the ballot box. His comments add weight to the chorus of concerns about transparency, fairness, and the possibility of genuine political change in one of Africa’s longest-standing presidencies.