Expected gov't: Which Divisions in NW, SW will be compensated?.

While analyses of what went right and what went wrong, are dominating public discourse and debates, serious work is going on within the camp of the winner of the October 12 poll, Paul Biya. 

Unlike in other presidential elections, where Biya was re-elected with a percentage score of 70 percent and beyond, this year, he dropped to a mere 53.66 percent.

This, alone, analysts are saying, means Biya, as Head of State, has got a lot of work to do, especially when it comes to rebranding himself and team to better serve Cameroonians. 

As arduous as it looks, the North West and South West Regions, which   have for close to a decade, have been living the horrors of a conflict, which many continue to criticise Biya, for not properly handling it, still ‘voted massively’ to retain him in power. 

This, notwithstanding widespread criticisms, is what the arbiter of presidential elections, the Constitutional Council, proclaimed on Monday October 27, 2025. 

There were 628,096 persons on the voters’ register in the North West Region. Of this number, the Constitutional Council confirmed that only 297,875 persons turned out to vote, with 2,210 of them casting null ballots.

Biya, candidate of the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement, CPDM, got 255,188 votes in the North West; Region which made up 86.31 percent of votes cast. The aggregate participation rate in the exercise for the North West Region stood at 47.77 percent.

Meanwhile, out of a voting population of 430, 706 in the South West Region, only 199, 459 persons actually voted, with Paul Biya receiving the backing of 135, 975 persons. 

Of this number, 1, 792 persons cast null ballots. Statistics show Biya won the Region with 68.79 percent.  The voter participation rate for the entire South West Region stood at 46.31percent.

In terms of basic Mathematics, in the basket of the over 2.4 million persons who voted to maintain Biya in power, for another seven years, the North West brought in 255,188 votes, while the South West Region gave 135,975. 

With the chips down and the population yearning for a new way of doing things and projecting the possibility of a new political elite and strengthening the presence of those who helped secure the current mandate, all eyes are on Biya.

Political watchers say with the figures from the field now in front of Biya, he is certainly going to use them as a measuring rod to compensate those who laboured to harvest the highest number of votes for his victory. 

In the North West and South West Regions, the work was done under a difficult atmosphere. With such an awareness, how Biya goes about with positioning the English-speaking Regions in his projected government, many are saying, will largely be weight on not just percentages scored but the actual number of votes from each of the 13 Divisions that make up the North West and South West Regions.

Report card of NW Region

In the North West Region, Boyo Division had some 58,828 potential voters, out of which only 9, 775 persons actually voted in the election; with 6, 614 of them choosing Candidate Paul Biya.

In Donga Mantung, with registered voters totaling 96,778, the Division recorded a turnout of 40, 630. Of this number, Biya got 29, 219 votes, representing 72.83%.

Notably, names that fronted for the Head of State in the Division are; Shey Jones Yembe, CPDM Permanent Delegation Head for Donga Mantung; Prof Fuh Calistus Gentry, Interim Minister of Mines, Industry and Technological Division; Yah Judith Sunday, epse Achidi; General Manager of the Cameroon Telecommunications, CAMTEL; El Hadji Abdou Kanfon Borno, Mayor of Ndu; Hon Ngala Gerard, Member of Parliament for Nkambe Central Constituency and Musa Shey Nfor, Mayor of Nkambe.

Of the 29, 219 votes Biya harvested in Donga Mantung, Misaje Subdivision, where Prof Fuh Calistus headed campaigns, contributed 6,033 votes. Ndu Subdivision, under the leadership of Achidi Judith is also noted to have made strides, harvesting 15,800 votes for Biya.  

Fai Yengo Francis, who is National Coordinator of the National Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration Committee, NDDRC, championed CPDM campaigns in Bui Division. The administrative unit had 104, 230 registered voters. Former Prime Minister, Yang Philemon, who is the North West CPDM boss, is also from Bui.  On voting day, 16, 364 persons voted and Biya got 13, 923 votes, translating to 85.46 percent.

Menchum Division, according to Elections Cameroon, ELECAM data, had 52.568 voters. But on election day, only 10.250 persons voted, with Paul Biya having 5,517 votes; making 53.24 percent of votes cast. 

Mezam Division, with the highest number of registered voters totaling over 208,476, registered 169,952 persons who voted, giving 81.52 percent participation rate. Mezam Division gave Biya the highest number of votes; not only in the North West Region but in both English-speaking Regions. Their percentage score stood at 92.12 percent in favour of Biya.

To note that in Mezam, the campaign head of the CPDM was the Minister Delegate to the Minister of External Relations, Felix Mbayu. 

The Minister of Territorial Administration, MINAT, Paul Atanga Nji, is also credited with laying the groundwork for Biya’s resounding victory in Mezam, on October 12. 

The same goes for Ba Edwin Fongod, the Director General of the Customs Department. He is said to have championed not only massive voter turnout but spearheaded the door-to-door campaign that saw Mezam giving President Biya the highest number of votes in the North West and South West Regions.

The CPDM Member of Parliament for Tubah/Bafut Constituency, Hon Agho Oliver, has been cited in several quarters as one of the key actors who played a huge role in ensuring massive votes for Biya. He is credited with embarking on a door-to-door voter registration campaign in Tubah and Bafut Subdivisions. He equally made sure those who registered effectively voted for the CPDM candidate at the October 12 presidential poll. 

In Santa Subdivision, where Biya got more than 21,000 votes, die-hard party financiers and support-mobilisers like Ntum-Kwifon Che Linidolf, President Director General of Medolf Sarl and Mbah Shupong Michael, CDENO Director General alongside others; are said to have done vigorous campaigns in the Subdivision, 

Meanwhile, Momo Division, with 57,183 potential voters, recorded a turnout of 26, 317 votes showing a participation rate of 46.02 percent.  Paul Biya, according to the Constitutional Council got 21, 303 votes; giving a percent score of 81.42. Work for the CPDM here was under the leadership of Mbah Acha Rose Formindam, the Minister Delegate in charge of the Supreme State Audit Office.

Minister Mbah Acha is credited with defeating security challenges in Momo, to do a door-to-door campaign in Momo. She equally galvanised voters in Momo, when she traveled to Batibo Subdivision, where she cast her vote. 

Ngokentunjia Division, on its part with 52,033 potential voters, recorded a participation rate of 46.73 percent, corresponding to 32, 317 votes cast of which 22, 727 were in favour of Paul Biya.  This gave a percentage of 95.54 percent.   

Die-hard mobilisers and financiers of the CPDM in Ngoketunjia were Hon Njingum Musa, Questor at the National Assembly; Prof Uphie Chinje Melo, former Rector of the University of Ngaoundere; Moh Sylvester, Director General of the Treasury, Financial and Monetary Cooperation at the Ministry of   Finance; and Senator Dingha Ignatius Bayin, the CPDM Section President for Balikumbat. 

In terms of classification in the North West Region, Mezam Division is distant first in terms of votes contributed. It is followed by Donga Mantung Division on second spot, Ngokentunjia Division third while Momo Division is on the fourth spot.  On spot number five in the North West Region is Bui Division, Boyo Division comes sixth and Menchum Division seventh.

Who gave Biya what in the SW Region?

Over in the South West Region, Fako Division, with 182,746 potential voters, registered only 61,489 voters on voting-day.  Of this number, only 22, 057 chose Paul Biya, representing 36.37 percent! 

It should be recalled that the Minister of Secondary Education, Prof Nalova Lyonga, was the Fako Divisional Campaign Head, while the former Prime Minister, Peter Mafany Musonge, was Head of the CPDM Campaign Team for the South West Region. Both political figures hail from Fako Division. 

In Kupe-Muanenguba, names that laboured for the CPDM victory were; Paul Elung Che- Minister, Assistant Secretary General at the Presidency; Okie Johnson Ndoh, Director General of National Hydrocarbons Prizes Stabilisation Fund, CSPDH; Prof Elvis Ngolle Ngolle and Senator Agnes Ntube among others.

Minister Elung Paul, particularly not only championed a ceaseless door-to-door campaign in the Division but played an immeasurable role in ensuring massive voter turnout.

Of the 38,420 potential voters on the voters’ roll in Kupe-Muanenguba, the number of those who actually voted on Sunday October 12, were 23,036; with 17,179 voting for the Head of State; giving a percentage of 74.96 of valid votes. 

Lebialem Division, with 22,499 registered voters, was manned by the Division’s CPDM-support mobiliser and the ruling party’s main financier in the administrative unit, Paul Tasong. Tasong is the Minister Delegate to the Minister of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development, MINEPAT, in charge of Planning. The Division gave Paul Biya 6,050 votes graphed at 68.58 percent of the 8, 976 persons who voted. 

Manyu Division that counted 55, 228 potential electors, recorded 37,444 persons who voted. Biya enjoyed the confidence of 34,186 persons standing at 91.70 percent of votes cast. 

Campaigns for Biya here were under the leadership of the Minister of Special Duties at the Presidency, Victor Arrey Mengot Nkongho. Minister Arrey Mengot is being widely-saluted for his never-seen level-headedness and for putting in place a rare campaign strategy that gave Biya a landslide victory in Manyu. 

Other campaign actors in Manyu for Biya were Senate Vice President, Nfor Tabetando; Prof Ebot Ebot Enow, Director General, DG, of the National Agency for Information and Communication Technologies, ANTIC; and the Mayor of Mamfe, Robertson Tabechong Ashu among others.

Additionally, statistics from the Constitutional Council also show that in Meme Division, where there were 95,02 potential voters on the electoral register, 34,658 persons defied separatists-imposed restrictions to vote. Out of this number, 23,133, measuring 76.21 percent of votes cast, were in favour of the Head of State, Paul Biya.

Former Minister, Chief Justice Benjamin Mutanga Itoe was the campaign head in Meme. 

Senator Nfon Mukete IV Ekoko, who was named CPDM Campaign Coordinator for the South West Region, is being credited for being one of the key actors who contributed for Biya’s victory in Meme Division.

It should be recalled that prior to the October 12 poll, Senator Mukete organised several meetings with the public, transporters, the clergy and Traditional Council Chairmen in his Kumba palace, during which he drummed massive voter turnout in favour of Biya. 

Other grassroots actors in the Division were Senator Otte Andrew Mofa, who is boss of the CPDM in Mbonge Subdivision; Hon Tabot Lawson Bakia, Member of Parliament, for Kumba Urban; Dr Ebongo Zachs Nanje, charge de Mission and Director of Family Health in the Ministry of Public Health and Dr George Musima Lobe, Mayor of Konye.

 In Ndian Division, where the current Prime Minister, Head of Government, Dr Chief Dion Ngute hails, 36,731 persons had their names on ELECAM’s registers. Of the figure, 33,856 persons came out to vote for a candidate of their choice on election day. Of this number, 33, 352 plebiscited Paul Biya, with a record score of 98.9 percent. 

Being the Division of origin of the Prime Minister, Head of Government, Dr Chief Joseph Dion Ngute, the massive votes for Biya took no one by surprise, pundits are saying. 

The Director of Cabinet at the Prime Minister’s Office, Balungeli Ebune Confiance, coordinated campaigns under the guidance of the Prime Minister.

Minister Ebune was visible on the field, not only during campaigns but also on election day. His presence is said to have boosted the massive voter turnout in favour of the CPDM candidate, Paul Biya, in Ndian Division.

Cataloguing votes from the South West Region puts Manyu Division first. It is followed by Ndian Division, Meme Division is third while Fako Division is on spot number four. Kupe Muanenguba is fifth, while Lebialem Division is on the sixth spot

Ranking the Divisions

Ranking the thirteen Divisions that make up the North West and South West Regions, the overall best in terms of votes given to Biya is Mezam, with 169, 952 votes. 

 On the second spot is Manyu Division, with over 34,186 votes; the third is Ndian Division, with over 33,000 votes; Donga Mantung Division is fourth, with over 29, 219 votes; fifth is Meme Division with over 23,133 votes; Ngokentunjia Division is sixth, with a contribution of 22, 727 votes; Fako comes seventh with 22, 057 votes; eight is Momo Division, counting 21,303 votes.

Meantime, Kupe-Muanenguba Division is the 9^th with 17,179 votes; on the 10^th position comes Bui Division, with 13, 923votes cast for Biya; Boyo Division comes 11^th with 6, 614 votes. The 12^th Division is Lebialem, with 6,050 votes while Menchum Division, occupies the 13^th position with 5, 517 votes.

Dion Ngute’s fighting pays off

Dr Chief Joseph Dion Ngute did not sit idling during campaigns. The Prime Minister was beyond lobbying. He equally engaged other strategic actions to boost the marketability of Candidate Biya on the field. 

Dion Ngute made strategic visits to the North West Region, days to campaigns, and particularly in Mezam Division, where the chunk of votes for Biya were recorded.

Dion Ngute actively campaigned in Limbe, Buea and Kumba, to sustained the momentum of Biya’s message to the population. The Prime Minister was also in Douala in the Littoral Region, Bertoua in the East Region and Ebolowa in the South Region during campaigns.

This story was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3614 of Monday November 03, 2025