October 12 poll: Tchiroma gives Biya 48-hour ultimatum to free all arrested.

The FSNC presidential candidate, who is believed to have fled the country after rejecting the results of the October 12 election, made the demand in a video message he released yesterday. 

In the video, which he described as a “wake-up call” to the international community and the nation, the former member of government and self-proclaimed winner of the October 12 presidential election, was categorical that Cameroonians will be left with no option but to resort to self-defense, if all those detained are not freed. 

“I give you in my capacity, 48 hours to liberate all of those who you have unlawfully arrested and jailed. Failing to doing it, Cameroonians will find themselves in a legitimate defense and free to undertake whatever will enable them to recover their freedom and to free their daughters and sons, who are illegally jailed…,” the politician warned.  

He added that: “If in 48 hours, as I say, if they refuse to comply, Cameroonians will be in legitimate position to defend themselves, their family and to go retrieve those arrested and jailed”.

Tchiroma alerted international pro-democracy and human rights protection bodies that for the first time in the history of the nation, “all Cameroonians have their back today against the wall”. 

He was unequivocal that Cameroonians are “confronted with a life-threatening menace” from the Biya-led government.

Describing the Biya regime as “unlawful and dictatorial”, Tchiroma accused government of inflicting “State-based terrorism and State-based gangsterism against the people”. 

“They have been arresting without any lawful legal procedure. They have jailed hundreds and thousands of Cameroonians, deprived them of their rights, not because they did something, but because this dictatorial regime has decided to operate ethnic, political and regional cleansing. This situation is unbearable, unacceptable,” Tchiroma stated. 

Claims Biya has never won an election 

The former Minister of Communication and Government Spokesperson also claimed in the video message that President Biya, who has been in power for 43 years and counting, has never won an election. 

Tchiroma insisted it is no secret as “all Cameroonians know it, the world in general knows it that President Biya has never been elected by Cameroonians.” 

Tchiroma frowned at the fact that President Biya, during the swearing-in ceremony, claimed God is the witness of his victory at the October 12 poll.  

“This is sacrilege; this is profanation. I just want to call your attention to the fact that he used this goal just to fulfil his ugly purpose. This is unbearable, this is unacceptable,” Tchiroma insisted, while urging the “regime to give up fighting and should stop killing our daughters and sons. Cameroonians will never accept”.

He urged Cameroonians to “remain tall, strong and be ready to fight” for their “freedom” and for their “rights” as far as the problem is not resolved. 

Tchiroma, it should be recalled, last October 28, described the presidential election results proclaimed by the Constitutional Council on Monday, October 27, as “truncated”, insisting that the victory awarded to President Biya was “fictitious”.

The unbending FSNC party leader had vowed to fight for what he claimed is the victory of “a large majority”. 

He had accused the Constitutional Council of “turning away from its mission as guardian of truth and democracy, to becoming a partisan body, and enemy of the sovereignty of the people”.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3621 of Monday November 10, 2025