MINAT’s outing on opposition alliances: Nintcheu-led coalition strikes back at Atanga Nji!.

The release bears the name of the National Coordinator of the platform, Hon Jean Michel Nintcheu. 

Nintcheu, who is also Member of Parliament, MP, restated that the APC Coalition, which is pro-Prof Maurice Kamto, remains committed to its vision. 

He also described the release of the Minister of Territorial Administration, MINAT, as “curious”, making references to other pro-regime and opposition coalitions that have existed in the past.

According to the APC, Atanga Nji’s “press release is a serious threat to the exercise of political rights in Cameroon.” 

The platform further qualified the MINAT’s boss’ outing as “an outburst of fear and panic”, reiterating that the APC Coalition “is ready to victoriously face the municipal, legislative and presidential elections of 2025”. 

He argued that the coalition platform is a grouping of legalised political parties and organisations, alongside renowned personalities. He added that the coalition will cease to exist after the 2025 presidential election. 

He claimed that Cameroonians in their majority are expressing the desire for change at the helm of the State.

The Nintcheu-named statement rather congratulated those in support of the platform and called on citizens at home and abroad, to massively enroll on the electoral register. 

This, it indicated, should be done with preparations for victories in the municipal and legislative elections, expected in 2025 and the presidential election that should statutorily take place in October of the same year.

“Political coalitions need no authorisations”

The platform argued in its statement that a coalition of political parties does not need to get an authorisation to exist and function. 

According to the APC National Coordinator, “political coalitions have no legal existence other than that of their members”. 

He quipped that on the strength of that view, “the APC does not feel concerned by the threats contained in the press release of the Minister of Territorial Administration”.

“MINAT archives has records of several coalitions”

The opposition coalition through its National Coordinator, said as Minister of Territorial Administration, Atanga Nji should be aware of records of several coalitions in the past that did not exist on the strength of any formal authorisation.

The release cited the Union for Change that powered the late Ni John Fru Ndi at the 1992 presidential election; Allied Front for Change, Coordination of Political Parties and Associations, ARC-CNS, as groupings that “have actively animated the political scene and the electoral landscape in our country”. This, the note situated, was following the return of multi-party democracy in the 90s.

Reminds minister Atanga Nji of leading pro-Biya coalitions

In the same line of argument, the APC said Minister Atanga Nji was the architect of the grouping of 20 opposition political parties known as G20, that supported Biya’s candidacy at the 2018 presidential poll.

Political analysts who see sense in Nintcheu’s response to Minister Atanga Nji, say before the coming of G20, there existed the Presidential Majority, which is still in alliance with the CPDM, where Minister Atanga Nji is a Section President. 

The platform argued that, even as member of government, the MINAT boss has lived the days of another platform of opposition parties pushing for electoral reforms.

“Nintcheu relent in pushing for end to crisis in NW, SW”

The release also indicated that Hon Nintcheu would not cease making his contribution to bringing an end to the crisis in the North West and South West Regions. 

The statement indicated that Hon Nintcheu’s “commitment to sincere and inclusive political dialogue between the armed movements and the Republic is resolute”.

The APC statement added that the MP has had the culture of meeting compatriots, “including in prisons, abroad, and not in secret,” among them people from the English-speaking Regions, wishing for peace to return to their communities.

“Nintcheu never given conditions to gov’t on ending NW, SW crisis”

Apparently disagreeing with Minister Atanga Nji, who lamented in his release of Tuesday that some of the opposition coalitions have been meeting jailed separatist leaders and setting pre-conditions for government on the way out of the Anglophone crisis, the APC holds a different view.

The platform indicated that its National Coordinator, “has never made any prerequisite or demand whatsoever to the government in favour of the prisoners of the Anglophone conflict, unless we consider as such the public proposal for the release of the said prisoners as part of the search for a political solution to the crisis”.

Prof Olivier Bile-led coalition, opposition mute

But for the APC, the Prof Olivier Bile-led Alliance for Political Transition, ATP, coalition platform is yet to react to Atanga Nji’s warning. 

Other opposition heavyweights who have repeatedly been cited as being part of the ATP too have also not reacted to the MINAT boss’ recent outing.

Crux of the matter 

Since December 2023, the opposition has been progressively heating up the political scene, ahead of 2025 presidential election. 

Thought split, the two coalitions viz; APC and ATP, have been consulting stakeholders to achieve what they have termed a political transition.

While the Nintcheu-led APC is already brandishing Cameroon Renaissance Movement, MRC, leader Prof Kamto, as its choice, the ATP is still at the level of broad-based consultations on what should be done and who should head the opposition to face the CPDM candidate, who is at the moment, potentially Biya.

The APC’s consultation of jailed separatist leaders and the ATP reportedly having done same is another issue that pricked the bile of MINAT boss. 

Pundits say, more of such fireworks will continue to animate the country as the presidential poll approaches.