Ahead of October election: Osih demands urgent relocation of polling stations in baracks, palaces.

In a letter addressed to the President of the Electoral Board of ELECAM, Osih was clear in his demands. According to the presidential candidate who is also National Chairman of the SDF, the credibility of the forthcoming election is at stake should the matter not be urgently addressed.

Presenting startling statistics on the issue, Hon Osih, said some 1,141 polling stations in palaces needed to be relocated. He said the relocation of the polling stations will guarantee fairness, transparency, and compliance with the electoral laws in force. 

The lawmaker representing Wouri Centre at the National Assembly explained to the ELECAM Electoral Board President that: “Following an analysis of the provisional list of polling stations published by the Director General of Elections, it appears that nearly 1,153 polling stations are still located in places that are not accessible to the public or do not meet the criteria of neutrality, accessibility, and security as stipulated by the Electoral Code, particularly Article 96(4)”.

He said of now, the SDF has established that 12 polling stations are officially located in military barracks, five within army headquarters, including within the Presidency of the Republic “which is currently being used as the campaign headquarters of the CPDM candidate”.

Osih noted that 1,141 polling stations are currently being lodged in palaces which he said are sometimes euphemistically referred to as “esplanade of the chiefdom of...” even though open-air voting is prohibited and access to these locations remains restricted or governed by customary rules.

In his letter to the ELECAM Electoral Board President, Hon Osih was blunt. The politician was categorical that it both legally and practically unacceptable for polling stations to be maintained in military barracks or army headquarters, which are neither public civilian venues nor neutral environments. 

Osih who first ran for post of President in 2018 said the presence of weapons and armed personnel contradicts the legal requirement banning arms in polling stations and represents a serious security breach and a clear violation of the Electoral Code.

He said “Regarding palaces, your local branches have at times attempted to justify their public character. However, it is essential to emphasize — as demonstrated in the attached legal argument — that a palace is not a public space in the administrative sense, but rather a customary site with special status, generally private or communal, with access restricted and subject to specific rules’’.

He argued that “Most palaces are located on customary lands or family estates, inherited or traditionally possessed. Unless formally acquired or developed by the State or a local authority (with land title registered to that entity), they do not belong to the public domain’’.

He also regretted that access to a palace is often subject to customary rules with some areas reserved for notables, dignitaries, or sacred rituals, and therefore not accessible to the general public.

The SDF flagbearer continued that “Court decisions involving usage or occupancy conflicts have confirmed that palaces, unless formally designated as public spaces, cannot be legally considered public places under administrative law”.

He said a palace cannot be used as a venue for a public meeting without the prior authorization of the traditional chief, unlike a public square.

Osih added that: “It does not fall under the unrestricted authority of administrative officials, except in duly justified public emergencies’’.

In concluding, Osih was vehement that a palace in Cameroon does not constitute a public space in the sense defined by positive law. 

“It is a customary space, often private or community-based, under the authority of a traditional leader and governed by specific rules of each group. Any public activity conducted in such a setting must respect this unique legal and cultural status,” he added.

“In light of the above, I kindly request, Mr President, that you instruct the Director General of Elections to immediately proceed with the relocation of polling stations currently installed: in military barracks; within army headquarters, including those under the Presidency of the Republic; and in palaces,” he concluded.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3523 of Monday August 04, 2025