May 20 celebration: SDF rejects gov’t’s marching order to march with Biya’s effigy.

The instruction is already producing fireworks in President Paul Biya’s South Region of origin, where the marching order first surfaced. 

It was made public through the Senior Divisional Officer, SDO, of Mvila Division, Tam Likeng Richard Marcel.

While other political parties have remained unresponsive to the instruction, the SDF has assumed a frontal posture. 

The Hon Joshua Osih Nabangi-led opposition party has stated that the powers that be cannot force it to brandish the picture of the Head of State, Paul Biya, while taking party in May 20 spectacles.

The SDF says it considers the instruction as a subtle way to humiliate the political outfit. 

Through its South Regional Chairman, Felix Guildas Mbida, the SDF says it is unbending about its position on the development. 

The SDF has warned that it cannot be brandishing Biya’s picture while at the same time claiming that the political outfit is an opposition party. 

Mbida further substantiated the position of his party on the issue, insisting that Biya is leader of a political party, the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement, CPDM, and so does not deserve such honour.

Petitions SDO, says order a ploy

On Monday, May 13, Mbida fired an epistle to the Mvila SDO, insisting that the SDF is not part of what he intends to force political parties to do on May 20. 

He said the order is “something which seems to us to be an incongruity, given the fact that he [President Biya] is the president of a political party to which we are totally opposed”.

The South Region SDF boss is categorical that the political outfit is not, and will never be party such an arrangement. 

“We therefore disassociate our party from this aspect of the civil parade, subject to the presentation of the legal and regulatory measures which instructs political parties to such," Mbida wrote.

Order ploy to block SDF from May 20 parade

Without mincing words, Mbida further interpreted the instruction from the SDO to be the outplay of a plan to eclipse the SDF out of the 52nd edition of the National Unity Day in Mvila Division. 

“The SDF, which is a political party that respects State institutions, sees this as a maneuver to exclude it from May 20, 2024 activities,” he stated.

“We are ready for May 20, but without Biya’s effigy”

The South Regional Chairman of the SDF, nonetheless, restated that the political configuration is ready to take part in this year’s National Day celebrations, but without the pre-condition of carrying the effigy of the Head of State. He informed the Mvila SDO that the party is also open to consultations to review the situation.

Mbida declared that: “Pending further clarification from you, we remain available for possible related consultations and a better performance without the effigies of Mr. Biya, during the National Unity Day of our dear and beautiful country, Cameroon”.

Revisiting gov’t’s marching order to opposition

To note that the decision to get political parties march on May 20, 2024, carrying President Biya’s effigy, was the substance of a preparatory meeting which the Mvila Prefect, organised recently.   

The Prefect, Tam Likeng, had through release No. 2024/CR/LO7/SAAJP of April 23, 2024, informed political parties of what appears to be a firm condition for them to be eligible to take part in this year’s May 20 national feast. The condition is for all political parties to carry Biya’s picture during the march-past

Other political parties mute

Apart from the SDF, the rest of the other political parties have remained maintained sealed lips on the instruction of the Mvila SDO. 

While it is understandable that the NUDP of Bello Bouba Maigari;  FSNC, of Issa Tchiroma Bakari and MDR of the late Daikole Daislala have an entente with the CPDM regime and may not resist the order, the PCRN of Hon Cabral Libii; CDU of Hermine Tomaino Ndam Njoya and UMS of Hon Pierre Kwemo have not coughed in relation to the order.

SDF on fresh war path with regime in Biya’s South Region?

The cold war between the SDF and the administration over participation in May 20 celebration, comes in the wake of an attack on the convoy of the party’s National Chairman, Hon Osih Joshua, in Biwung Bulu, Mvila Division of the same South Region.

The attack of Sunday May 5, when Osih was on another lap of his ongoing national tour, resulted in individuals the opposition party later identified as CPDM supporters, barricading roads.

In reaction to the incident, the SDF had, through its Shadow Cabinet Minister for Information and the Media, Nguidol Ngan, indicted the regime in place and the ruling party for fanning hate and tribalism. 

The party had said those who blocked the road on that occasion were putting on the CPDM fabric and uttered “insults, hurtful and discriminatory remarks, threats and intimidation of all kinds at our comrades”.

Putting the marching order to carry Biya’s effigy as a pre-condition to take part in May 20 celebrations within the same administrative unit, observers say, is not a coincidence. 

Others have qualified it as the continuation of clashes that could persist till 2025, when the presidential election is expected to hold in Cameroon.