Pre-election litigations: Fireworks at Constitutional Council over Kamto's candidacy.

ELECAM, in rejecting his application, had said it did so because MANIDEM had invested another candidate.

However, Kamto's fate was not decided yesterday after the Constitutional Council opened deliberations on his case. 

After five hours of heated hearing, characterised by a tensed atmosphere and bad-mouthing, the Council adjourned the matter to 3p.m. today. The decision has left the polity in anxious mood. 

Business went underway at the Constitutional Council, early yesterday, with pockets of clashes between security forces and some individuals, said to be supporters of Prof Maurice Kamto.

Beyond the arrests, there was heavy military presence at major road junctions and roundabouts across the nation’s capital. 

Many say the huge security deployment, which is expected to stay in force today, is not unconnected to the hearings at the Constitutional Council.

Aside the postponement of hearing on Kamto's case to the afternoon hours of today, the Constitutional Council had as at the time we went to press last night, thrown out five petitions.

Among them was that from the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement, CPDM, party supporter, Leon Theiller Onana, contesting the candidacy of incumbent President Paul Biya.

The Council also ruled, invalidating the candidacy of Hilaire Zipang, under the banner of the Progressive Movement, MP, party, which ELECAM had validated for the October 12 poll. 

Navigating complexities of Kamto’s candidacy

Kamto filed a petition requesting the annulment of the decision of Elections Cameroon, ELECAM, rejecting his candidacy file. 

ELECAM had said it disqualified Kamto because it received two candidacy files from the MANIDEM party that invested him. 

The other file was from Dieudonné Yebga, who is also contesting Anicet Ekane’s leadership of MANIDEM party. The case of Kamto was jointly heard together with that of Yebga. 

Kamto’s lawyers stood against the proposal. According to them, if the hearings of the petitions are joint, it will water down Kamto's case. 

Counsels for Kamto explained that Yebga’s claims are unfounded, given that he was not invested by the political party. 

The legal team for MANIDEM argued that Yebga had been expelled from MANIDEM, since 2018, and the Ministry of Territorial Administration, MINAT, was duly notified.

On this note, Kamto's lawyers said Yebga cannot claim to be acting on behalf of MANIDEM. 

Yebga, on his part, said in 2017, Anicet Ekane was expelled from MANIDEM, during a congress of the party. 

He argued that based on that dismissal, which he insisted remains in force, there is no way Ekane can claim leadership of MANIDEM.

Both parties tried to convince the Council that they are the rightful leaders of MANIDEM. 

Lawyers submitted documents to prove that from 2018, when Ekane was elected leader of MANIDEM to 2025, there was no contestation of his leadership. 

Among the documents were; letters from MINAT and ELECAM, recognising Anicet Ekane as the legitimate leader of MANIDEM. 

In similar line of arguments, Yebga’s team also said it had documents indicating he (Yebga) is the rightly leader of MANIDEM. 

Ekane, Kamto’s lawyer optimistic 

Talking to reporters after hearing was adjourned to today, Ekane said: “You never know, we can dream. The future of our country and our children is at stake. Let's hope that the decision doesn't require the kind of theatre we've seen today”.

The embattled MANIDEM leader further said: “What's sad is that the arguments are going outside the political framework and into Regional arena”. 

On his part, one of the lawyers of Kamto, Barrister Roland Ojong-Ashu, remarked that they evoked the issues “of the legitimacy of Maurice Kamto going in as a candidate. It is obvious that they will maintain his candidacy tomorrow [today]”. 

Barrister Ojong-Ashu said: “We know Cameroon is a State of law. If justice has to be done, he will be reinstated as a candidate because the facts are clear. He will be reinstated as a candidate for the election,” he said with unshaken optimism.

How the petitions were heard

The first petitions to be heard were those from Bertin Kisob, of the Cameroon Party for Social Justice. 

In one of his complaints, he had asked the Constitutional Council members to recuse themselves from the petitions before it.

Given that Kisob was absent, the President of the Council, Clement Atangana, threw out the case.

Next was the complaint of CPDM Councillor, Leon Theiler Onana, against ELECAM, MINAT, and the ruling CPDM party. 

Onana's lawyers structured the arguments around three points viz: the irregularity of the nomination of Candidate Paul Biya; irregularity of the letter that invested Biya and illegality of Candidate Paul Biya. 

They argued that Biya’s position as leader of the CPDM and candidate for the election are incompatible. Onana’s lawyers also contested the resolution of ELECAM’s Electoral Board that published the list of candidates for the election.

For close to two hours, the lawyers of Onana and those of the CPDM argued on the internal regulations of the party. 

The CPDM team argued that going by the party’s basic text, its leader is the natural candidate for any presidential election.

The counsel for ELECAM stated that the body’s Electoral Board acted in respect of the law to validate Biya’s candidacy. The case was thrown out. 

Reacting to the decision of the Constitutional Council, Barrister Guy Kamga told reporters that: "We submitted this request. The Council took note of it, received it and considered that it was unjustified”. 

According to Barrister Kamga, this was in accordance with Article 123 of the 2004 law; governing the status of members of the Constitutional Council.

Fouda Essomba’s complaint against ELECAM and MINAT, was also thrown out. He had prayed the Council to validate his candidacy, even without paying the required 30 million FCFA caution.

The Constitutional Council also rejected the petition from the Provisionary Directorate of the Cameroon National Salvation Front, FSMC, challenging the candidacy of the party’s president, former Minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary. 

Clashes outside Constitutional Council

Earlier in the day, while petitioners' lawyers were making their submissions, a clash erupted between security forces and some protesters, believed to be supporters of Prof Maurice Kamto.

The supposed Kamto's supporters, who had gathered outside the hall, were teargased and some arrested.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3524 of Tuesday August 05, 2025.