Municipal, legislative polls: Tchiroma’s FSNC boils, splits over boycott, participation.

Internal calm and external criticisms first greeted the decision when it was made public a few weeks ago. But in the last couple of days, the party of the former minister, now in exile after claiming victory in the October 12, 2025 presidential poll, is in the eye of the storm over the same decision. 

A group of the party’s supporters has been mooting that the FSNC party will participate in the twin polls whenever the electorate is convened.

The fresh push, mixed with claims of the party to backpedal on its boycott option, seems to be facing a stonewall. Another faction holding onto the boycott option has stepped forward to reinforce the hard stance to stay away from this year’s twin polls.

With Tchiroma now seeking refuge in faraway The Gambia, the positions of his interlocutors, party bigwigs and other new faces that came to identify with the party in the build up to last year’s presidential election, are sparking fireworks.

Reports hold that while there are those who insist that FSNC’s participating in the twin elections will amount to endorsing the re-election of President Paul Biya, others are hoping on exploiting the political capital of last year to break new grounds. 

Tchiroma and the FSNC have continued to claim President Paul Biya, whom the Constitutional Council proclaimed winner of last year’s presidential poll with 53.66%, did not get the highest number of votes in the poll.

Spokesperson suggests participation

At the heart of the perceived tension within the FSNC party is a video clip of Tchiroma’s Spokesperson, Barrister Alice Nkom, which surfaced days ago. 

The video is believed to have been filmed on January 28, 2026. In the said clip, Nkom, who was filmed apparently addressing some young supporters of the party, indicated that she had talked with Tchiroma about the issue.

She explained the boycott position but indicated that: “When I discussed with him (referring to Tchiroma), he understands the approach perfectly”. 

The veteran lawyer indicated her conviction to rescue Cameroon from the grip of the CPDM regime, restating the need to stay mobilised, even in the face of the boycott. 

She also declared her belief that those to whom she was filmed addressing have the capacities to give the CPDM hard times.

‘My personal engagement not FSNC’

With the multiple interpretations given to her utterances, Barrister Nkom released another post on her official Facebook page, giving further details. Tchiroma’s Spokesperson said her position on the expected elections does not engage the FSNC.

She addressed the persons to whom she released the explanations as “…those who refuse to whisper but demand clarity”. Nkom stated that her declarations were not made by chance but in pursuit “…of a commitment to support a young candidate in the municipal elections in Douala; a young man standing up to the regime, a face among many others in Cameroon who has refused to be silent”.

The lawyer said she supports anyone who opposes the Biya regime, adding that the route to achieving such a goal is not a straight line. She also drummed opposition unity as the best way out, but restated that she supports the position of Tchiroma to boycott the polls.

Nkom added that boycott is “…an assumed position, thought out, and which, at one point in our history, was also that of Maurice Kamto.” She insisted that she has never said the FSNC wants to participate in upcoming twin polls. The lawyer qualified such reports as “false”, adding that, it distorts the position of the FSNC.

“…my personal commitment and support to candidates facing the regime on the electoral field, does not engage the FSNC. It is neither an announcement, a rerun, nor an official line. FSNC holds its ground,” she insisted.

She further wrote, stating that she should never be put in a position to choose, “… between my principles and unity”. The advocate enthused that no one should ever blame her for supporting any action against the regime in place.

‘A promise is not abandoned at first disagreement’

Further clarifying the ambiguity, Barrister Nkom revisited the momentum of the presidential election of 2025, indicating that during the exercise, “we learn to build a union”. 

Such unity, she indicated, was not built for a moment but a promise in quest for change. 

“And a promise is not abandoned at the first strategic disagreement. The support of the opposition must be total,” she stated.

She noted in her message that: “Yes, we can boycott and support opposition candidates. Yes, we can differ without dividing. Yes, we can walk on different roads looking at the same horizon. So, I say it calmly, firmly, brotherly”.

In the thinking of Nkom “…when the goal is the victory of the people, unity is not an option- it is an obligation”. Nkom also reminded the opposition that the regime feeds on their division.

‘FSNC mobilising for forthcoming elections’

However, diehard Tchiroma supporter, Joseph Espor Biyong, in a message on one of his social media handles Sunday, claimed the FSNC is mobilising to “contest in the forthcoming elections”.

Unlike others, Biyong, who is a deputy mayor at the Douala V Council, rather claimed the said polls will be organised under the leadership of Tchiroma as Head of State.

Biyong is believed to be the young man in Douala, whom Barrister Nkom had indicated in her message, stating she is ready to support him participate in the twin polls.

FSNC restates boycotting polls

Despite the multiple signals, the Interim Secretary General of the Central Committee of the FSNC, Moussa Firissou, in a release, dated February 6, 2026, restated that the party has not changed its position visa-a-vis the upcoming twin polls.

Mousa wrote that it is a sovereign decision of the party, taken without ambiguity. He stated that the party remains convinced that participating in the elections is legitimising a regime defeated in the October 12, 2025, presidential poll and validating “an electoral parody” with results already prepared before the exercise.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3699 of Monday February 09, 2026