Editorial: Osih is ‘changing’ SDF!.

After years of a one-party rule in Cameroon, where many freedoms were restricted, the late John Fru Ndi, launched the Social Democratic Front, SDF, in 1990. 

The mission of the Founding Fathers of the party was to change the system and give 'equal opportunities' and 'power to the people'.

The only way to do that is to grab power through the ballot box. Charismatic Fru Ndi attempted to enter the Unity Palace through the 1992 presidential election and received 35.97% of the vote, against 39.98% for incumbent, President Paul Biya, according to official results. But the SDF claimed their candidate's victory was "stolen".

For whatever reasons, the political fortunes of the party dwindled with each election and at the last poll in 2018, Fru Ndi's heir, Hon Osih Joshua Nambangi, took the party's baton to the race and was humiliated with a score of less than four percent.

Osih later replaced the National Chairman after his passage to glory.

However, it would appear the party of 'change' is following Chairman Fru Ndi to the grave.

With presidential elections coming up in October next year, the opposition and Cameroonians have been yearning for change in public commentaries. They have expressed the need for a coalition to root off the CPDM from power.

But last week, Hon Osih, which party is synonymous to change, even if only in sour slogans, said the SDF is not interested to change a man who is 91 and has been at the helm of State for over four decades!

He claims his priority is a 'transition'. How will he achieve that transition given the crumbling base of his party and even his own ridiculous score at the last presidential election, compounded by the armed conflict in the SDF’s fief of North West and South West Regions, that has pushed the party to the nadir of unpopularity?

His answer is that: "We are putting in place a very solid left front in Cameroon with all ideologically left-thinking parties. We have already concluded a framework with the major trade unions in Cameroon that represent nearly 78% of all workers in Cameroon and the doors are still open for more trade unions to join us”.

His view on joining an opposition alliance being promoted by his former SDF Member of Parliament, Hon Jean Michel Nintcheu, is negative. 

“It is premature and a little bit out of topic today to be dragging the SDF, which is a serious party, into discussing coalition options whereas those options today are not the priority of our party,” Osih said.

He recalled that the SDF had "organised coalitions since 1990...we have also been part of coalitions in the past. However, we sincerely believe that where Cameroon stands today, we need to seriously work towards implementing or pushing an agenda for a political transition in Cameroon that is inclusive to all the actors...so, we are for a winning Cameroon and not for a winning individual”.

To Fru Ndi's credit, the SDF organised coalitions when it was the main cock in the opposition to crow.

Today, there is the Cameroon Renaissance Movement, MRC, of Prof Maurice Kamto and Cameroon Party for National Reconciliation, PRCN, of Cabral Libii. 

Osih’s party needs to concede that times have changed.

How can any credible politician sincerely talk of forming a transition without being in power with a winning candidate? Can a transition exist without the members being in power? Has the SDF lost its scruples to the point of relying on trade unions, some of which the CPDM government has often termed as illegal? Do members of the trade unions not also belong to political parties where there is a distinction between labour matters and political issues?

When the SDF was launched, Fru Ndi explained that its prime objective was geared towards addressing the endemic marginalisation of people of the North West and South West Regions.

Truth be told, the SDF, due to t

government's rebuff to provide a level playing field as it demanded, boycotted the March 1992 parliamentary election, along with the Democratic Union of Cameroon.

After Fru Ndi's impressive performance at the presidential election in 1992, his party scooped 43 seats in the National Assembly in the May 1997 parliamentary election. Since then, it has been a free fall. 

At the presidential election held on October 11, 2004, Fru Ndi had just 17.4% of the vote, according to official results. Osih ran for the 2018 presidential and had less than fiur percent of votes cast. Would he not have been gunning to lead an opposition union if he performed like Kamto?

When Osih was voted National Chairman of the SDF last year, in a controversial election, there were vitriolic criticisms that the SDF under him would change to a "section of the CPDM" or member of presidential majority.

Some members resigned after that election, including his powerful challenger from Limbe, Ndenge Godden Zama. The expulsion of 27 other top members of the party, among them Hon. Jean Michel Nintcheu, who used to be the Chair of the Littoral regional branch, has also crippled the party.

So if it is now fronting a 'transition', will he have to take the SDF to the presidential majority to sell that option?

There is no question that given the electoral law, which has been criticised variously as being defective, the ruling CPDM will have a smooth ride to victory at the 2025 presidential election with or without President Biya standing as its candidate.

Osih should recognise the hard fact that the SDF does not have the dynamism, which Fru Ndi used his unrivaled charisma and mass following to lead the party. He lacks that clout and the only 'change' he is proposing is to change the SDF from its mission of providing equal opportunities, which can only be done by being in power, not on the fringe.