Court unleashes deadly blow on dismissed SDF bigwigs!.

The expelled party bigwigs had seized the court, demanding their reinstatement after they were expelled from the SDF under controversial circumstances. 

They had also demanded the court to cancel NEC's decision appointing members of the party’s Shadow Cabinet. 

The decision of the court to dismiss the cases has been described by keen watchers of the longstanding infighting within the SDF as a deadly blow on the expelled party officials. 

The party’s National Communication Secretary No. 3, Kejang Henry Atembeh, broke the news yesterday. 

Kejang, in a brief note, which he issued and circulated widely, said party officials were informed of the fresh developments by the Secretary General of the SDF, Barrister Adeline Lord Djomgang. 

The note from the party’s National Communication Secretary No. 3, detailed that the court has declared itself incompetent to handle the case, saying: "It is an internal issue that concerns a political party, and that they should address their worry within". 

The dismissed party bigwigs, operating under the aegis of G27+ platform, had last February been slammed the contentious Article 8.2 of the party’s constitution; which expels members found guilty of engaging in ‘anti-party’ activities.

The decision was arrived at during a National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting which held in Yaounde, days after the group organised a press conference in Douala to publicly present their grievances against the SDF hierarchy. 

In what they termed attempts to seek justice within the party, the G27+ members dragged the party to court, demanding their reinstatement, annulment of the late Chairman's decision to appoint members of the party's Shadow Cabinet and some members of the National Executive Committee, NEC. 

They had also filed another suit, calling for the suspension of the Secretary General's circular, which detailed modalities convening the party’s 10th Ordinary Convention.

The group members, who had since been decrying injustice, described their expulsion from the party as a “miscarriage of justice”.

They had engaged the Yaounde Court of First Instance, to suspend the forthcoming Elective Convention of the SDF, billed for October 27-28 in Yaounde. 

The note, circulated by the SDF National Communication Secretary No. 3, yesterday, described as “double jeopardy”, the dismissal of the two cases, which had been filed by the dismissed party officials.

Kejang further detailed that since the dismissed party officials had not exhausted all the internal remedy of the party as per the fundamental laws, “the court found itself incompetent to handle the cases”.

Mfoundi High Court yet to pass ruling

Going by Kejang’s note, the competence to cancel the cases reside with the Mfoundi High Court, which the G27+ members had asked to cancel the party’s elective convention. 

The case before the Mfoundi High Court, it should be said, is still pending. This now leaves watchers of the political chessboard to wonder if the Mfoundi High Court will also declare itself incompetent to handle the matter. 

G27+ thorn in the flesh of SDF leadership

Members of the group, it should be said, have been a thorn in the flesh of the leadership of the SDF. 

At the start of the year, the group had dragged the late National Chairman of the party, Ni John Fru Ndi, to court.

The dismissed party officials have since challenged decisions taken by the leadership of the party. 

They repeatedly accused the late SDF National Chairman and the party’s scribe of repeated violation of the text of the political outfit.

They also accused the late Fru Ndi of grossly violating certain provisions of the text of the party and of “highhandedness”. 

The disgruntled members repeatedly accused Fru Ndi of scheming to hand over the baton of command on a platter of gold to his First Vice President, Hon Joshua Osih.

Court decision victory for Osih?

Political watchers say yesterday's decision of the Yaounde Court of First Instance, to dismiss the two cases, could be a major victory for Hon Osih Joshua. He is battling two other candidates for the post of SDF National Chairman. 

Those who hold this point of view say the dismissed party officials would have been a major hindrance to Osih’s campaign as they had strongly opposed him.