October poll: Atanga Nji brandishes dagger at troublemakers.

Among the firm declarations from the MINAT strongman is the assurance that despite the pockets of fears within some quarters, nothing will be left to chance; before, during and after the presidential poll.

He asserted that the gangsterism, protests, ghost towns and other civil disobediences that trailed the presidential poll of 1992, won’t be tolerated this year.

Atanga Nji’s thoughts around the election at hand formed the corpus of his appearance as guest on the weekly magazine programme, Actualite Hebdo, on the Cameroon Radio Television, CRTV. The exchange was first aired on Sunday, July 20, 2025.

With the electoral process in full swing, since the Head of State convened the electorate on July 11, Atanga Nji said there is total vigilance across the country.

He disclosed that Governors and other administrators have been alerted not to leave anything to chance, especially when it comes to peace and respect of public order.

The MINAT boss said the goal is not to restrict the political space but to ensure that political actors operate in the spirit of the law. 

‘Why I relate 1992 to 2025 poll’

Asked why he was comparing the 1992 presidential election with that to hold on October 12, 2025, Atanga Nji said: “In 1992, the Head of State had just authorised the creation of political parties because until 1990, we had only the CPDM. But the Head of State did not wait for the wind of change. He accepted democracy without any constraint”. 

He continued that some political parties that were created then, opted for irresponsible actions; such as ghost towns, instead of engaging in democracy.

"There were destructions here and there, and the country was a bit stretched. Paradoxically, we are in 2025, with almost the same political actors who were authors of these irresponsible acts. We are telling them that in 1992, democracy was still nascent and the country was not shaken. In 2025, the country will not be shaken because evidently, you will play politics and, on another part, we will maintain law and order and everything will go on normally,” he stated. 

Biya personally studied his file for election

Atanga Nji praised Biya for respecting the law in depositing his file at ELECAM, for the election. 

He said it is President Biya who personally went through his file for the election, to ensure that it doesn’t become a subject of rejection.

He explained that after doing such, while reading what the law says, Biya okayed the dossier for his collaborators to drop at ELECAM. 

My work doesn’t permit me to laugh...

Described as man who is rarely seen laughing or smiling, Atanga Nji affirmed that given the nature of his work, there is no room for such. He revealed in the same exchange that, he works oftentimes from 11p.m. till 6a.m.

Going by the MINAT boss, if he is loved where he works, it means he has failed. Atanga Nji declared that he is not a woman who should be loved by people. “It is women who want to be loved. I don’t want to be loved,” he stated.

Biya, he indicated, also mostly works at night and from time to time, reaches out to his collaborators in charge of security issues within the same period. On this account, Atanga Nji, averred that he believes the Head of State, rarely sleeps.

Detractors claim we are working for CPDM

On claims from critics that MINAT is working to ensure victory for President Paul Biya, Atanga Nji credited such to detractors.

He insisted that within the country’s set up, the ministry he is managing relates with Governors, Senior Divisional Officers, SDOs, and Divisional Officers, DOs, to protect persons, property, maintain public peace and order.

Within such arrangement, he said the forces of law and order are put at the disposal of administrative authorities for use when the need arises. 

With the presidential poll just months away, Atanga Nji said MINAT is there to accompany the electoral process. 

Biya, he argued, had in his address to the nation on December 31, 2024, called for free, fair and transparent elections in the country.

He insisted on ELECAM’s independence, stating that those claiming the body us not credible have no political capital. 

Atanga Nji cited the 2013 Senate election, wherein ELECAM threw out the list of the CPDM in the East, West and Adamawa Regions.

CPDM supporters in these Regions, he said, cried to Biya but he asked everyone to allow ELECAM to do its work. 

Atanga Nji said in the end, the CPDM was out of the race in Adamawa and the West Region.

“…this means that before the senatorial election of that year, CPDM, the party in power, had already lost 14 senators. That is ELECAM…I can cite several examples but it good for people to be honest…this is witchcraft against ELECAM. Leave ELECAM to do its job. ELECAM is credible,” Atanga Nji recalled.

Security to be reinforced ahead of poll

Beyond assuring that the security situation of the country is under control, Atanga Nji disclosed that more actions will be taken in that light across the 361 Subdivisions, 58 Divisions and 10 Regions of the country. This, he insisted, will be done “without any major worry”.

Why I am authoritative about Kamto’s situation

Asked about his repeated insinuations about the situation of Prof Maurice Kamto, with respect to the October 12 election, Atanga Nji said: “Everyone can ask this question but sometimes, you have to sweep away lies and advise people of bad faith, who are out to disturb the conscience of Cameroonians…”.

He continued that: “…I said it clear that this candidate was in detention and the Head of State, as the champion of democracy who he is, ordered the end of prosecution for this politician to come back to Republican institutions.

“Politics is not on the streets,” he retorted, before stating that if Biya had sought the opinion of others, they would have told him to allow Kamto remain in detention.

According to Atanga Nji, Kamto was released so that his political party could take part in the twin polls of February 9, 2020, but he ended up boycotting the exercise.

Administrative authorities, he said, where already supporting MRC supporters to compile documents for the exercise. 

He restated that Kamto is on record as having admitted that he knew boycotting the twin polls of that year would mean he would not be able to run for this year’s presidential poll.

‘Kamto hiding behind small tree to seek re-election’

He denied taking the place of Elections Cameroon, ELECAM, and the Constitutional Council to make such tough declarations. 

Atanga Nji said the turn of things with Kamto having submitted his candidacy file under the African Movement for New Independence and Democracy, MANIDEM, and not MRC gave reason to his declarations. Going by Atanga Nji, Kamto simply hid behind a small tree to deposit his file at ELECAM.

“This man is at the start and end of his problem…He is a man of law and I am speaking to him…,” Atanga Nji stated, adding that the turn of events has proven him right. 

He further insinuated that even with the submission of Kamto’s candidacy through another party, nothing much will change.

No form of protest will be tolerated…

“You know, we are in an environment of confusion and with the social media, people do as they like. Administration starts with education, sensitisation, followed by warning and then repression. So, what I said is that all of us are watching ELECAM and the Constitutional Council,” he stated. 

He added that: “What I am telling political actors is that when candidates will be validated and known, if your name is not among, it is finished for 2025. You wait for 2032”. 

Reminded that those rejected may want to express their dissatisfaction, Atanga Nji fired back, stating that: “They should cry quietly. There is no need to cry in public. When ELECAM does its work, that will be followed by the Constitutional Council, it will mark the end of deposition of candidates. If you are not among, it is finished”.

At this level, he said there will be no room for irresponsible political actions, insisting that such aspirants should “cry at home not on the road”.

‘Don’t cry more than the bereaved’

He restated that any aspirant who will not be on the starting block of the election would be like someone who is bereaved. 

On this score, Atanga Nji said such persons, among whom are those who boycotted the 2020 municipal and legislative elections, should be allowed to face the consequences. 

The member of government said if the presidential race has ended for a candidate and someone surfaces from nowhere proposing another option, it is synonymous to witchcraft.

“For Catholics, it is said food for the dead is prayers. You are already dead and it is prayers that would accompany you. We are in a State of law and it will remain so; before, during and after the October 12 election. It is important that the message is clear so that people should not be surprised,” he stated.

Media should know we are in a delicate context

On what some said are veiled threats from him to the media, Atanga Nji said he invited the President of the National Communication Council, NCC, to the conference of Governors based on reports.

He said his collaborators had noticed media excesses and it was normal to engage the regulator on the need to remind the media that Cameroon is in a delicate season. 

The minister said all the government wants is for the media to stay professional and honest.

On his repeated interventions in disputes within political parties, Atanga Nji denied claims that government has favourite opposition candidates.

“Let me tell you something very simple. When you go to court, the path is very long. You win at the Magistrate Court, there is a window for appeal at the High Court, Appeal Court and right up to the Supreme Court. So when the legal route is not exhausted, you can’t say you have won and that you have a title.  That is the law… I am talking law,” Atanga Nji declared.

He said the case of Beleguel Nkot, who is being challenged as UPC Secretary General, is because there is an appeal against certain decisions.

Atanga Nji also claimed he linked Hon Cabral Libii with the Cameroonian Party for National Reconciliation, PCRN, when the latter had no political platform after falling out with UNIVERS party which invested him as candidate in the 2018 presidential election.

“It is me who did it…when we were approaching the twin elections of 2020, Cabral Libii did not have a political party. He came to see me and if I had anything against him, I would have asked him to go and struggle. As titular minister in charge of political parties, I hooked him up with the PCRN… I party created by another person,” Atanga Nji recounted.

He said government has no preferential opposition parties. “The problem is that when there is a gentleman agreement, it should be respected,” he explained.

The MINAT headman said even with the appeal against Cabral Libii in court, he was allowed to deposit his file for the presidential election.

Political parties, he went on, run to MINAT for arbitration when there is a conflict. He argued that the Deoxyribonucleic acid, DNA, and birth certificates of all political parties are at MINAT.

I am gov’t, Biya’s sheriff 

Restating his position as Minister of Territorial Administration, Atanga Nji said he is the sheriff of government and the Head of State. 

“The sheriff is there to maintain order…the sheriff is there to regulate…he is there to tell everyone that you have a responsibility, you have an assignment and you have liberties…,” he explained.

He further remarked that: “The sheriff, I should also say, is someone who should be courteous, gentle but at the same time a cold monster who doesn’t have a friend and without a soul”. 

He said as MINAT boss, he is not there to bully or intimidate anyone but to ensure things are in order. 

He, however, insisted that when people dig holes for themselves by defying State authority, he watches them for a while. But stated that, “when you fall into a hole dug by yourself, I don’t fill it with ground, I use cement.

“We don’t wait for a pitfall. Even in the Bible, it is said the good you do is for yourself and the bad you do is for yourself. So, everyone should learn a lesson,” Atanga Nji stated.

Denies recruiting fake elections observers in 2018

Reminded that in 2018, government was accused of hiring fake election observers, Atanga Nji responded in the negative. 

He said the assertions were from those who wanted to tarnish the credibility of the electoral process of that year.

“…we give accreditations to those who apply. Embassies and Non-Governmental Organsisations, NGOs, they apply…we have nothing to hide. We give them accreditations. The accreditations is for people to see the vitality of our democracy and the credibility of our electoral system,” he detailed.

‘Nobody should play with Cameroon’

Quoting the Head of State, Atanga Nji said with the election just months away, there are people who want to joke with Cameroon.

“When someone tells you that if I am not a candidate, those who will survive will fix Cameroon. Is that person serious? When you say in a certain country there were deaths for change of power to happen. At that moment, I come out with the blender [Molinex]. I say again in the sense of administration; to maintain law and order, it is about the blender,” Atanga remarked.

He went further to warn those whom he said, “defy State authority, highway robbers, those who preach chaos, insurrection, we consider them as spices. I say it again; everyone will harvest what they planted”.

Atanga Nji said he is not exaggerating his declarations. He promised that anyone who dares to foment trouble will be arrested alongside their followers. 

He nonetheless said, there will not even be a window for such things to even start. “There is nothing to hide, the electoral process is open,” he quipped.

‘Biya has never accepted the falsification of election’

Quizzed if he and his collaborators will accept defeat, in case an opposition candidate wins the October poll, Atanga Nji factored Biya into his response.

He said the Head of State has never accepted falsified election results. The minister then added that, even his collaborators can’t confiscate election results.

Atanga said in the 1992 presidential election, results from MINAT gave Biya over 43 percent of votes cast but when the matter went to the Supreme Court, the Head of State won but with over 39 percent of votes cast. 

“And the Head of State respected the verdict,” he averred, adding that in the twin elections of 1992, MINAT gave the CPDM 94 seats in parliament but at the Supreme Court, the ruling party lost six seats.

The situation, he said, is what pushed the CPDM into an alliance with the Movement for the Defense of the Republic, MDR, of Dakole Daisalla at the National Assembly then. 

Atanga Nji said based on his examples, “President Paul Biya is the first Republican who will never falsify election results and will always respect outcomes of elections”.

Issa Tchiroma, Bellou Bouba breaking alliance nonevent 

On the decision of Issa Tchiroma Bakary and Bello Bouba to end their parties longstanding alliance with President Biya, Atanga Nji said the developments are a nonevent.

He recalled that similar political change of positions were observed in the 90s and nothing happened. The State, Atanga Nji said, is up and functioning well.

“It is a nonevent. You are given work and you said you don’t want to do the work. It is your choice…For me, the Republic continues…It can happen,” he concluded.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3513 of Thursday July 24, 2025