October 12 poll: Bishops divided in Biya's name!.

The meeting has been given various interpretations by articulate commentators.

For some, coming up after the Archbishop of Douala, His Grace Samuel Kleda, had just painted a bleak picture of the country’s socio-economic, political and unfair electoral process in a Pastoral Letter, the meeting was intended to counter their colleague.

To others, given the support the Imams had openly professed for the candidature of the incumbent, the consultation was intended to make the Catholic leaders emulate their Muslim brothers, perceived as a maneuvre to consolidate a broad electoral base by capitalising on the influence of religious and traditional dignitaries.

For cynical reaction, the meeting was not attended by seven Bishops, as seen in the group picture with Ngoh Ngoh, the strategic committee chair.

The seven, however, did not endorse the ruling party's natural candidate. In a statement to the Bishops, Minister Ngoh Ngoh "highlighted the delicacy of the moment as we live on the eve of elections” and expressed his wish that the Bishops play an important role in order to ensure peace before, during and after the elections.

He added that the government is committed to holding transparent elections and desired political parties to present their programmes and reject any form of hate speech, privileging peace.

In a campaign slant, he told the Bishops "...a laudable assessment of major projects already accomplished by the Head of State”, emphasising the importance of peace.

“The administration is committed to holding transparent elections,” he noted, stressing the importance of the Bishops’ role as pre-election tensions are beginning to be felt in several regions.

It was later reported that in reply, Archbishop Andrew Nkea, President of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon, NECC, expressed the "Bishops’ joy of this meeting, then invited Monsignor Philippe Alain, Vice President, to offer a prayer"

After the prayer, Andrew Nkea stressed that it was indispensable to work for all, to work for peace, reconciliation and prosperity in Cameroon, specifying that it was a commitment beyond the political framework. 

"Christ being the Prince of Peace, the Church works and prays for peace," he noted.

He recalled in synthesis the messages of the Bishops: One bearing on the elections, the other on the socio-political situation in Cameroon, reiterating the Bishops’ wish to have more regular frameworks of concertation with State authorities.

Finally, Andrew Nkea gave an interview clarifying that the Church is not partisan, stating that priests and Bishops are not committed to a political party, but that the Church, sharing the joys and hopes of the people, must be interested in how the people live.

The official position remains clear: “The Church is not partisan, priests and Bishops are not committed to a political party,” according to Andrew Nkea. 

However, the religious institution fully assumes its role of accompanying the Cameroonian people.

The bottom line is whether the meeting divided the Bishops or not. What is without nitpick is that the seven did not endorse Biya as all the groups from Muslims to traditional rulers, legislators and ministers who harkened to the call of the Secretary General before them had done.

By presenting the economic achievements of President Biya, Ngoh Ngoh diplomatically replied to Archbishop Kleda's scathing indictment of the regime on all fronts.

The focus of the concertation with Bishops, however, anchored on "peace" before, during and after the presidential election. The 39 Bishops have in their congregations over seven million Cameroonians, who make an important electoral bloc that can influence the outcome of the October 12 presidential election.

But the Bishops missed an opportunity to emphasise their resolution in a Pastoral Letter of March 28, 2025, titled: “Pastoral Letter of the Bishops of Cameroon on the Presidential and Regional Elections in Cameroon”. It was signed by 23 Bishops.

In it, the Bishops had stated that: “the President we choose should be able to tour the 10 Regions of the country and see things for himself, rather than relying solely on reports”.  

They didn't raise the condition with Ngoh Ngoh or why the natural candidate of the CPDM could not receive them to be told the home truth.

Be that as it was, will the spiritual and partisan institutional alliance guarantee the tranquility of the upcoming elections?

Peace is not decreed, it is not imposed even by prayers calling for justice and equity in an electoral process.

Records indicate that the Congolese Episcopal Conference fearlessly demanded President Kabila’s resignation, supported peaceful protests, and advocated free elections, even in the face of violent repression. Their persistence led to Kabila’s decision not to seek a third term in 2018.

The Guardian Post does not encourage the Bishops to instigate peaceful strikes, but urges them to take sides with what, in their divine afflatus, they consider to be just in the eyes of the Lord. Sitting on the fence only divides the house of God, which is what the Bishops of Cameroon are facing, not in God's name, but in Biya's candidacy.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3537 of Monday August 18, 2025