MINAT boss dangles dagger at Kamto, Cabral.

The member of government has also frowned at the opposition politicians for regularly making what he considers “derogatory remarks on the President of the Republic”. 

Atanga Nji’s outburst, which has been described by political watchers at daggling a dagger at the political leaders, is contained in a strongly-worded two-page release, he issued yesterday. 

The member of government reminded the political actors, whom he said claim to respect state institutions, to start by respecting the Head of State, who incarnates state institutions. 

“It should be remembered that contempt for the President of the Republic is punishable under the Criminal Procedure Code and cannot be tolerated when the verbal excesses are aimed directly at the Head of State. This must stop before it's too late for this multi-recidivist MP,” Atanga Nji warned in the release. 

He reminded the politicians that benefiting from parliamentary immunity or being a political party leader is no excuse to defy state authority, institutions or incite rebellion. 

“…being a Member of Parliament or leader of a political party does not entitle one to defy the authority of the state with impunity, incite rebellion and threaten to set the country on fire during the 2025 presidential election, if selfish and partisan interests are not met,” the minister reiterated. 

Debunks claims opposition parties denied authorisation to hold meetings 

Atanga Nji debunked claims that opposition political parties are denied the right to hold public rallies or meetings by administrative authorities. 

He said only Divisional Officers, DOs, under the supervision of Senior Divisional Officers, SDOs, and Governors, have the competence to authorise political meetings within their areas of command. 

Such rules, Minister Atanga Nji clarified, applies to all and even the ruling CPDM party, headed by President Paul Biya. The CPDM, he insisted, has been denied authorisation on several occasions and for various reasons.

“Since the beginning of 2024, twenty-six (26) CPDM political meetings have not received authorisation from administrative authorities for various reasons. These include Maroua I, Bangangte, Sangmelima, Dschang and Tonga,” he detailed.

In such cases, he added, “local CPDM leaders have always complied with the decision of the administrative authorities, who have a better appreciation of the social climate and the potential risks of disturbance to public order”.

Atanga Nji, however, bemoaned the fact that when request for authorisation is rejected from certain opposition political groups, controversy erupts in the public arena. 

“Administrative authorities are responsible for maintaining public order and protecting people and their properties. They do and will always do their job without qualms and in the interest of all citizens,” he clarified. 

Such, Minister Atanga Nji said, is the case of a “cunning and conspiratorial attitude” of Hon Cabral, “who is desperately trying to wrest a political party from its legitimate founder”. 

Warns politicians predicting chaos during 2025 presidentials 

The MINAT boss has further warned opposition politicians brandishing the scarecrow of chaos during the 2025 presidential election. He has started that polls will be conducted nationwide calmly, serenely and without disruption, as in 2011 and 2018, in respect of the laws governing the electoral process and the December 19, 1990 law governing political parties.

Minister Atanga Nji has further warned political players, who he says are “haunted by the demons of destabilisation”, that “they will be hunted down wherever they may be and brought before judicial authorities according to the seriousness of their crimes”. 

“No misbehavior will be tolerated,” Atanga Nji has further warned those he qualifies as “perpetrators of anti-republican and conspiracy-mongering behaviour”.

He has equally cautioned Cameroonians not to allow themselves to be manipulated by rogue politicians who wish to obtain in the streets what they are unable to obtain through the ballot box. 

“Anti-democratic shortcuts have no place in our dear and beautiful country, Cameroon,” he has warned.

Context of Atanga Nji’s outburst 

Though the MINAT boss did not mention any name in his release, his outburst, those keen with developments within the political arena say, is provoked by the May 10 press conference of the leader of Cameroon Renaissance Movement, MRC, Prof Maurice Kamto, and the National Day eve message of PCRN leader, Hon Cabral Libii, to his followers on social media page. 

Prof Kamto had declared during the presser his readiness to dance to the music of the regime, if he suspects any foul play during the next presidential election. Kamto had even vowed he is ready to pay the ultimate price to defend his claims. 

Cabral Libii, for his part, had made what some political watchers have described as derogatory remarks against the personality of the Head of State, in his outing on the eve of National Day on the social media.