Race to SDF chairmanship: Who among them can fit into Fru Ndi’s big shoes?.

As the countdown to the elective convention of the Social Democratic Front, SDF, billed for October 27 and 28, narrows, various candidates vying for positions into the National Executive Committee, NEC, of the party, have been cutting the t’s and dotting the i’s in their campaigns.

But the debacle that has been animating public opinion is that of the duel for the post of National Chairman. As per the official list of candidates vying for the various positions into NEC of the party, there are three aspirants who are going to be locking horns for the post of the National Chairman of the SDF. 

They are: Ndenge Godden Zama, Limbe SDF Electoral District Chairman in the South West Region; Hon Osih Joshua Nambangi, First Vice National President and Member of Parliament for the Wouri Centre Constituency in the Littoral Region, and Shewa David, the party’s coordinator in Donga Mantung in the North West Region.

It should be noted that since the creation of the SDF in 1990, the now deceased emblematic Ni John Fru Ndi, was the party’s National Chairman until his demise on June 12, 2023. 

Before his demise, the SDF was Fru Ndi and Fru Ndi was the SDF. Fru Ndi, analysts say, and rightly so, has left big political shoes which will take a dynamic and astute politician within the SDF to fill. 

Fru Ndi, for 33 years as the National Chairman of the SDF, held the party together, preventing it from splitting, despite the fact that some of its Founding Fathers and strong adherents left the party due to one disgruntlement or another. 

Nonetheless, Fru Ndi’s political posture stood towering within the national political arena. His steadfastness and resolve not to take the SDF into joining the CPDM government were unabated, despite several juicy and luring offers from the CPDM regime.   

It should be noted that before Fru Ndi’s demise, SDF, the once vibrant leading opposition political party, had seen its political fortunes dwindled considerably. Political analysts are saying whoever can fit into Fru Ndi’s shoes should be that person who can revive the party’s 1990-type vibrancy and stand by the political ideals that were incarnated by Fru Ndi and the party’s Founding Fathers.   

With the three aspirants having thrown their hats into the ring, analysts have been x-raying the various strengths and weaknesses of Osih, Zama and Shewa, as far as leading the SDF into a new era is concerned. 

While the trio have been professing their zeal to take the SDF forward, if elected National Chairman of the party, the onus rests with the about 2,400 delegates from within and out of the country who will be attending the convention and casting their votes. 

In the light of the foregoing, we take a bird’s eye view of the three aspirants to the SDF top job. For reasons of objectivity, we outline them in alphabetical order. 

Ndenge Godden Zama

The 38-year-old, young, dynamic, charismatic and firebrand Ndenge Godden Zama, many political analysts say, is well suited for the SDF National Chairmanship position, given his huge political repertoire and achievements. 

As Limbe Electoral District Chairman, Zama, for years, gave the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement, CPDM, in the area sleepless nights, particularly during election periods.

SDF supporters, analysts say, are looking forward to having a new leadership that would take the party back to its 1990-type vibrancy. Ndenge Godden Zama, given that he is youthful and has almost exactly charismatic instincts like Fru Ndi, observers say, may just be the right person for the SDF top job.

Zama, like the former and the late SDF National Chairman, Fru Ndi, SDF supporters say, more than anyone else of the three aspirants, is down-to-earth, level-headed, uncompromising and has the Fru Ndi-type rallying potential.

An SDF bigwig, who spoke on condition of strict anonymity, told The Guardian Post: “If we have Zama at the helm of the SDF, we will sleep with our both eyes closed, knowing that he will not use the party to strike deals with the Biya regime or negotiate entry into the CPDM-led government”. 

A graduate from the University of Buea, Ndenge Godden Zama is a businessman, educationist and football promoter.

He was Secretary General of the Limbe SDF Electoral District from 2011-2014, when he was overwhelmingly elected District Chairman.

Among other notable actions Zama, as District Chairman carried out, he stood against destruction of artisan houses in Limbe, advocated the construction of durable market stalls, fought against sale of community water projects to private companies, campaigned for the National Oil Refining Company, SONARA, to engage in corporate social responsibility, massively mobilised youth militancy in SDF in Limbe. 

He also carried out many social programmes to engage supporters and sympathisers of the SDF. It was therefore no doubt that during his tenure of office, the SDF saw its supporters in Limbe increase in leaps and bounds. 

Zama has, in the past months, been accorded royal blessings by some traditional rulers of the North West and South West Regions, as he embarked on his journey to the SDF top job, which he says he will use to serve Cameroonians, promote peace and national unity. 

If these attributes of Zama are anything to go by, political analysts are saying, he is very suited for the SDF top job and can fill the shoes left behind by the late Ni John Fru Ndi.   

Osih Joshua Nambangi

The current First Vice National President of the SDF, 55-year-old Osih Joshua Nambangi, is definitely no political push over. His political pedigree within the SDF also puts him on a strong lane to the party’s top job. 

As a traditional ruler-designate of Madie Ngolo in Toko Subdivision, Ndian Division of the South West Region, this also adds to Osih’s popularity within his community. 

Though it was mooted within political circles that Fru Ndi was grooming Osih to succeed him at the helm of the SDF, Fru Ndi, before his demise, refuted that allegation. 

It should be noted that Osih is very bilingual and possesses several traits of a good leader. 

However, some party supporters say they fear with Osih as National Chairman, it may not be long before the SDF joins government, something Fru Ndi resisted for decades. 

To embolden their claim, they point to Osih having joined some CPDM Members of Parliament in signing a letter which was sent to the US Congress, calling for the cancellation of the Temporally Protected Status granted some Cameroonians in the United States of America, USA. 

Osih holds an MBA in Leadership and Sustainability, and has more than 25 years of experience in the aviation industry, notably in operations and management. 

An established entrepreneur for many years, he conducts businesses in aviation, ecotourism, hospitality and aquaculture, and has over 200 employees. 

Osih is also the Founder and Managing Director of the notable companies, Camport PLC and Africa Travel Management.

He joined the SDF in March 1991 in Douala. In 2002, he was elected Regional Chairman of the party for the South West Region. In 2006, he was elected 2nd Vice President of the party. 

In 2012 and 2018, Osih was elected in both instances as 1st Vice National President of the party. At the 2018 extraordinary convention of the party, he was designated SDF's presidential candidate for the 2018 presidential election. Osih came a distant fourth in that election, grabbing 3.36% of the votes. This was the worse presidential election result the SDF ever had in the annals of its existence.

Shewa David 

Though the other candidate of the SDF top job, Shewa David, has been described by some political analysts as an outsider in the race, others say he is no greenhorn in politics. With over a decade of active political participation, Shewa has garnered a huge influence for himself. 

Born on June 20, 1985, in the locality of Berabe, Ako Subdivision of the North West Region, Shewa obtained his GCE Advanced Level in 2005 in Government High School Nkambe, from where he proceeded to the University of Yaounde I. 

In 2008, Shewa bagged a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology. He began militating with SDF in 2004, as a member of the Cosmos Quarter Ward in Nkambe, Donga Mantung Division of the North West Region. 

He also militated with the Intelligentia Ward in Bonas, Yaounde, where he occupied the post of Secretary. In 2013, Shewa David ran for parliament in the Donga Mantung West Constituency, though luck didn’t smile on him. 

He came close to securing victory after obtaining 41.62% of the votes cast. He is currently serving SDF Divisional Coordinator of Donga Mantung Division.

Taking into consideration what analysts have described a huge shoes left behind by Fru Ndi, observers say it is prudent for the SDF to rebrand and put in place a new type of leadership. 

It must coin a new message, elect a new type of leadership. For those who support the SDF, the die will be cast on October 28. 

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As the countdown to the elective convention of the Social Democratic Front, SDF, billed for October 27 and 28, narrows, various candidates vying for positions into the National Executive Committee, NEC, of the party, have been cutting the t’s and dotting the i’s in their campaigns.

But the debacle that has been animating public opinion is that of the duel for the post of National Chairman. As per the official list of candidates vying for the various positions into NEC of the party, there are three aspirants who are going to be locking horns for the post of the National Chairman of the SDF. 

They are: Ndenge Godden Zama, Limbe SDF Electoral District Chairman in the South West Region; Hon Osih Joshua Nambangi, First Vice National President and Member of Parliament for the Wouri Centre Constituency in the Littoral Region, and Shewa David, the party’s coordinator in Donga Mantung in the North West Region.

It should be noted that since the creation of the SDF in 1990, the now deceased emblematic Ni John Fru Ndi, was the party’s National Chairman until his demise on June 12, 2023. 

Before his demise, the SDF was Fru Ndi and Fru Ndi was the SDF. Fru Ndi, analysts say, and rightly so, has left big political shoes which will take a dynamic and astute politician within the SDF to fill. 

Fru Ndi, for 33 years as the National Chairman of the SDF, held the party together, preventing it from splitting, despite the fact that some of its Founding Fathers and strong adherents left the party due to one disgruntlement or another. 

Nonetheless, Fru Ndi’s political posture stood towering within the national political arena. His steadfastness and resolve not to take the SDF into joining the CPDM government were unabated, despite several juicy and luring offers from the CPDM regime.   

It should be noted that before Fru Ndi’s demise, SDF, the once vibrant leading opposition political party, had seen its political fortunes dwindled considerably. Political analysts are saying whoever can fit into Fru Ndi’s shoes should be that person who can revive the party’s 1990-type vibrancy and stand by the political ideals that were incarnated by Fru Ndi and the party’s Founding Fathers.   

With the three aspirants having thrown their hats into the ring, analysts have been x-raying the various strengths and weaknesses of Osih, Zama and Shewa, as far as leading the SDF into a new era is concerned. 

While the trio have been professing their zeal to take the SDF forward, if elected National Chairman of the party, the onus rests with the about 2,400 delegates from within and out of the country who will be attending the convention and casting their votes. 

In the light of the foregoing, we take a bird’s eye view of the three aspirants to the SDF top job. For reasons of objectivity, we outline them in alphabetical order. 

Ndenge Godden Zama

The 38-year-old, young, dynamic, charismatic and firebrand Ndenge Godden Zama, many political analysts say, is well suited for the SDF National Chairmanship position, given his huge political repertoire and achievements. 

As Limbe Electoral District Chairman, Zama, for years, gave the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement, CPDM, in the area sleepless nights, particularly during election periods.

SDF supporters, analysts say, are looking forward to having a new leadership that would take the party back to its 1990-type vibrancy. Ndenge Godden Zama, given that he is youthful and has almost exactly charismatic instincts like Fru Ndi, observers say, may just be the right person for the SDF top job.

Zama, like the former and the late SDF National Chairman, Fru Ndi, SDF supporters say, more than anyone else of the three aspirants, is down-to-earth, level-headed, uncompromising and has the Fru Ndi-type rallying potential.

An SDF bigwig, who spoke on condition of strict anonymity, told The Guardian Post: “If we have Zama at the helm of the SDF, we will sleep with our both eyes closed, knowing that he will not use the party to strike deals with the Biya regime or negotiate entry into the CPDM-led government”. 

A graduate from the University of Buea, Ndenge Godden Zama is a businessman, educationist and football promoter.

He was Secretary General of the Limbe SDF Electoral District from 2011-2014, when he was overwhelmingly elected District Chairman.

Among other notable actions Zama, as District Chairman carried out, he stood against destruction of artisan houses in Limbe, advocated the construction of durable market stalls, fought against sale of community water projects to private companies, campaigned for the National Oil Refining Company, SONARA, to engage in corporate social responsibility, massively mobilised youth militancy in SDF in Limbe. 

He also carried out many social programmes to engage supporters and sympathisers of the SDF. It was therefore no doubt that during his tenure of office, the SDF saw its supporters in Limbe increase in leaps and bounds. 

Zama has, in the past months, been accorded royal blessings by some traditional rulers of the North West and South West Regions, as he embarked on his journey to the SDF top job, which he says he will use to serve Cameroonians, promote peace and national unity. 

If these attributes of Zama are anything to go by, political analysts are saying, he is very suited for the SDF top job and can fill the shoes left behind by the late Ni John Fru Ndi.   

Osih Joshua Nambangi

The current First Vice National President of the SDF, 55-year-old Osih Joshua Nambangi, is definitely no political push over. His political pedigree within the SDF also puts him on a strong lane to the party’s top job. 

As a traditional ruler-designate of Madie Ngolo in Toko Subdivision, Ndian Division of the South West Region, this also adds to Osih’s popularity within his community. 

Though it was mooted within political circles that Fru Ndi was grooming Osih to succeed him at the helm of the SDF, Fru Ndi, before his demise, refuted that allegation. 

It should be noted that Osih is very bilingual and possesses several traits of a good leader. 

However, some party supporters say they fear with Osih as National Chairman, it may not be long before the SDF joins government, something Fru Ndi resisted for decades. 

To embolden their claim, they point to Osih having joined some CPDM Members of Parliament in signing a letter which was sent to the US Congress, calling for the cancellation of the Temporally Protected Status granted some Cameroonians in the United States of America, USA. 

Osih holds an MBA in Leadership and Sustainability, and has more than 25 years of experience in the aviation industry, notably in operations and management. 

An established entrepreneur for many years, he conducts businesses in aviation, ecotourism, hospitality and aquaculture, and has over 200 employees. 

Osih is also the Founder and Managing Director of the notable companies, Camport PLC and Africa Travel Management.

He joined the SDF in March 1991 in Douala. In 2002, he was elected Regional Chairman of the party for the South West Region. In 2006, he was elected 2nd Vice President of the party. 

In 2012 and 2018, Osih was elected in both instances as 1st Vice National President of the party. At the 2018 extraordinary convention of the party, he was designated SDF's presidential candidate for the 2018 presidential election. Osih came a distant fourth in that election, grabbing 3.36% of the votes. This was the worse presidential election result the SDF ever had in the annals of its existence.

Shewa David 

Though the other candidate of the SDF top job, Shewa David, has been described by some political analysts as an outsider in the race, others say he is no greenhorn in politics. With over a decade of active political participation, Shewa has garnered a huge influence for himself. 

Born on June 20, 1985, in the locality of Berabe, Ako Subdivision of the North West Region, Shewa obtained his GCE Advanced Level in 2005 in Government High School Nkambe, from where he proceeded to the University of Yaounde I. 

In 2008, Shewa bagged a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology. He began militating with SDF in 2004, as a member of the Cosmos Quarter Ward in Nkambe, Donga Mantung Division of the North West Region. 

He also militated with the Intelligentia Ward in Bonas, Yaounde, where he occupied the post of Secretary. In 2013, Shewa David ran for parliament in the Donga Mantung West Constituency, though luck didn’t smile on him. 

He came close to securing victory after obtaining 41.62% of the votes cast. He is currently serving SDF Divisional Coordinator of Donga Mantung Division.

Taking into consideration what analysts have described a huge shoes left behind by Fru Ndi, observers say it is prudent for the SDF to rebrand and put in place a new type of leadership. 

It must coin a new message, elect a new type of leadership. For those who support the SDF, the die will be cast on October 28.