Dr Fomunyoh: Only Truth and Transparency Can Heal Cameroon Torn by Election Disputes

By Boris Esono Nwenfor

Dr Christopher Fomunyoh, founder of the Fomunyoh Foundation and Senior Associate for Africa at the National Democratic Institute (NDI), has made a passionate appeal for transparency and truth in the wake of Cameroon’s disputed October 12, 2025, presidential election. In a statement titled “The Truth Shall Set Us Free,” the democracy advocate and political analyst warned that Cameroon risks descending further into chaos unless election results are made public, polling station by polling station.

In his message, Dr Fomunyoh expressed condolences to the families of those who lost their lives during the post-election violence that has shaken various parts of the country. "Only in opaque and autocratic societies, where the rules of the game are not respected, do elections that should be a celebratory event turn bloody and destructive," he lamented.

Cameroon has been on edge since the election, which returned 92-year-old President Paul Biya to power for an eighth term amid widespread allegations of fraud. Opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who officially came second, has rejected the results, claiming victory and calling for peaceful civil disobedience.

The Adjunct Professor of African Politics at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, D.C., said the slow and opaque tabulation process has raised legitimate doubts about the credibility of the election outcome. Drawing comparisons with other African democracies, he noted that countries like Senegal, Ghana, and Nigeria announce election results within 72 hours, while Cameroon’s electoral body, ELECAM, has continued to withhold key data.

"The vote tabulation and results announcement gave rise to significant suspicions that vote totals from polling sites were tampered with or manipulated to favour the incumbent candidate," he said. "The multiple layers of aggregation adopted decades ago now appear totally archaic and vulnerable to manipulation."

According to Dr Fomunyoh, independent monitoring platforms established by opposition parties and civil society groups show a contrasting outcome that favours Issa Tchiroma. "We cannot dismiss these suspicions," he warned, recalling similar controversies during Cameroon's 1992 and 2018 presidential elections, which were also marred by accusations of rigging.

He argued that elections are the cornerstone of a social contract between leaders and citizens, and when that trust is broken, every other act of governance is undermined. “If an election can be stolen in broad daylight with impunity, then every other act of bad governance pales in comparison,” he said.

Fomunyoh painted a grim picture of the country's current state, describing an economy in decline and a citizenry on edge. He warned that Cameroon's fragile stability, long seen as an anchor for Central Africa, is at risk of collapse. "Cameroon's future is at stake as millions aspire to greater freedoms, accountability, and genuine democracy, which have not been obtained during the 43 years of rule of the current regime," he cautioned.

The seasoned democracy advocate also linked the post-election crisis to Cameroon’s ongoing conflicts, from the Anglophone crisis in the North West and South West regions, now in its eighth year, to the persistent threat of Boko Haram in the Far North. “The country is already fragilized," he said, noting that continued instability could embolden extremist movements and jeopardise regional peace.

He accused both the African Union and international partners of silence and inaction. “The African Union can’t muster the courage to call a spade by its name, and the international community appears indifferent,” he said, warning that this lack of accountability encourages impunity.

Despite his criticism, Fomunyoh insisted that a solution is within reach, one rooted in truth and transparency. He called on ELECAM to publish the results from each polling station to allow independent verification. “Such a release would be an act of utmost responsibility and a patriotic duty,” he stressed. “Withholding polling site results when they would bring an end to violence and loss of life would be tantamount to treason.”

Dr Fomunyoh emphasised that releasing the detailed results would not only restore public trust but also avert further national disintegration. "Without verifiable evidence right now, appeals for peace and reconciliation sound hollow," he argued.

His statement echoes growing calls from civil society and opposition leaders for transparency and reform in Cameroon's electoral system. Observers say his intervention could inspire renewed dialogue on how to restore credibility to the democratic process in a country where power has been monopolised for over four decades.

Fomunyoh concluded with an appeal to Cameroonians' sense of justice and humanity. "For once, can our acute sense of truth, transparency, honesty, justice and humanity triumph so we may collectively pull back and save the national glass house now tilting on the feet of clay, before it's too late?" he asked.