Democracy on trial: Post-election disputes & the fragile foundations of nation-building in Cameroon.

What was meant to consolidate decades of multiparty democracy instead exposed the deep fissures within the state: ethnic polarization, institutional weakness, and a pervasive crisis of trust between citizens and the ruling elite.

Democracy in Cameroon is not merely under stress; it is on trial. The test is not only about who holds power, but about whether the country can still build a credible national project anchored in inclusion, justice, and accountability.

Post-election disputes & the erosion of legitimacy

Cameroon’s recurring electoral controversies have become emblematic of a broader governance malaise. Since the reintroduction of multiparty politics in the early 1990s, elections have rarely produced outcomes accepted by all major actors. 

The 2025 polls followed a familiar script: opposition claims of vote manipulation, delayed results, and selective repression of dissent.

The electoral management body, Elections Cameroon (ELECAM), once again found itself accused of partisanship and opacity. Allegations of voter suppression in opposition strongholds and inflated tallies in ruling party bastions eroded confidence in the process. 

The Constitutional Council’s swift validation of results, despite documented irregularities, reinforced perceptions that the judiciary serves as an extension of executive authority rather than an arbiter of constitutional order.

These disputes matter not only for electoral integrity but for national cohesion. Each contested election deepens the legitimacy crisis of state institutions, widens the gulf between government and governed, and fuels cynicism about the value of democratic participation.

Ethnic & regional polarization

The post-election climate has also amplified Cameroon’s enduring ethno-regional fault lines. Politics in the country remains heavily mediated through identity—whether Anglophone vs. Francophone, or between the dominant Beti-Bulu elite and marginalized northern, western, and coastal communities.

In the 2025 election, these divisions were both a strategy and a symptom. Campaign rhetoric often exploited ethnic loyalties, while access to political power remained closely tied to regional patronage networks. 

In the aftermath of the disputed results, calls for regional autonomy, particularly from Anglophone and northern constituencies, gained renewed vigor.

This ethnicization of politics undermines the very idea of nation-building. Instead of fostering a sense of shared destiny, it entrenches a zero-sum perception of power—where one group’s victory is another’s exclusion. Without genuine efforts to reimagine a national identity beyond ethnicity and language, Cameroon risks deepening its centrifugal tendencies.

Institutional fragility and the crisis of governance

At the heart of Cameroon’s post-election turmoil lies institutional weakness. The state’s core structures—electoral, judicial, legislative—are perceived as instruments of incumbency rather than guardians of public interest. 

ELECAM’s lack of autonomy, the Constitutional Council’s predictable rulings, and Parliament’s subdued oversight collectively erode the credibility of democratic governance.

Moreover, the militarization of politics has become increasingly visible. The government’s reliance on security forces to contain protests, silence opposition figures, and restrict civil society underscores a regression toward authoritarian reflexes. This approach might maintain short-term order, but it deepens long-term instability by alienating reformist voices and shrinking civic space.

The unfinished Anglophone crisis in the North West and South West Regions continues to expose the consequences of institutional failure. 

While the government insists on national unity, the absence of inclusive dialogue and meaningful decentralization has left the conflict unresolved. 

For many Cameroonians, especially youth, democracy has ceased to be a vehicle for change and has become synonymous with manipulation and elite continuity.

The regional & international dimension

Cameroon’s democratic regression occurs within a broader regional pattern of democratic backsliding across Central and West Africa. The resurgence of military coups in the Sahel, contested transitions in Chad, and the erosion of civilian oversight elsewhere have collectively weakened the normative power of democracy on the continent.

International partners—particularly the European Union, France, and the United States—face a dilemma: how to balance strategic interests in security and stability with credible advocacy for democratic reforms. Their muted response to Cameroon’s electoral disputes risks reinforcing perceptions of Western complicity in governance stagnation.

At the same time, new actors such as Russia, China, and Türkiye are increasingly active in the region, promoting alternative models of partnership that emphasize regime stability over democratic accountability. 

Cameroon’s elite may find comfort in these new alliances, but such engagements risk deepening dependency and insulating the state from domestic reform pressures.

Nation-building at the crossroads

The post-election disputes reveal a deeper truth: Cameroon’s crisis is not merely electoral but foundational. Nation-building—once envisioned as a process of integrating diverse communities under shared institutions and values—has stalled. 

Political power remains personalized, governance centralized, and citizenship fragmented.

To rebuild legitimacy, Cameroon must confront the structural sources of fragility. This includes: Reforming electoral institutions to ensure transparency, independence, and credible results; deepening decentralization to allow regions meaningful participation in governance and development; reopening political dialogue among parties, civil society, and regional representatives to craft a new national consensus; investing in civic education and youth inclusion to restore faith in democratic processes.

Nation-building cannot proceed on the foundation of exclusion. The state must transition from ruling over citizens to governing with them.

Conclusion

Cameroon stands at a decisive juncture. The 2025 post-election crisis is not an isolated event—it is a mirror reflecting decades of unaddressed structural weaknesses. 

Democracy in Cameroon is indeed on trial, but so too is the state’s capacity to reinvent itself as a legitimate, inclusive, and accountable entity.

The path forward demands courage: from leaders willing to place national interest above power retention; from institutions ready to assert independence; and from citizens committed to demanding better governance.

Nation-building is not the outcome of elections alone—it is the product of trust, fairness, and the collective belief that the state belongs to all. Until those foundations are rebuilt, Cameroon’s democracy will remain fragile, and its promise of unity, perpetually deferred.

By Dr Etah Ewane: He is a political analyst, diplomat, and researcher focusing on governance, peacebuilding, and security in Africa. He provides in-depth analysis on democratic transitions, conflict dynamics, and regional cooperation across Central Africa and the Sahel. Dr Ewane’s commentary and reports have been featured in leading international and African media outlets, where he offers expert insights on political developments in Sahel region and the wider African continent. He is widely recognized for his balanced, evidence-based perspectives on governance, human rights, and regional stability.