Alexis Dipanda Mouelle Man who ‘reluctantly’ declared Biya 1992 presidential poll winner dies.

His death comes three months after the passing of his wife. It should be recalled that Dipanda Mouelle was appointed President of the Supreme Court of Cameroon, on May 30, 1990. 

It was in this capacity that following the fiercely-contested October 1992 presidential election within a very tense and volatile political climate, the onus fell on him to declare the election results, as head of the Supreme Court, which was then sitting in for the Constitutional Council.

The said election, which was the first presidential election after the reintroduction of multi-party politics in Cameroon, pitted incumbent Paul Biya of Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement, CPDM; and the late John Fru Ndi of the Social Democratic Front, SDF, as main contenders. 

Other candidates included Bello Bouba Maigari of National Union for Democracy and Progress, NUDP; the late Adamou Ndam Njoya of Cameroon Democratic Union, CDU; Jean Jacques Ekindi of Progressive Movement, PM; and Emah Otu of Grouping of Patriotic Forces, GPF.

On the day of election results declaration, amid mounting tension nationwide, Dipanda Mouelle, after hours of reading polling station reports live on national television and radio, declared Paul Biya winner. 

The official results declared by Dipanda Mouelle put Biya on the lead with 39.98%, closely followed by Fru Ndi, with 35.9%. 

The results, with a razor-thin margin between the winner and runner-up, sparked controversy and mass protests across the country. 

Till his passing to eternity on June 12, 2023, John Fru Ndi maintained his claim that he won the election and his victory was “stolen”.

It should be recalled that Dipanda Mouelle, while declaring the results of the election that was marred by gross irregularities, had said; “...my hands are tied.”

Though he never explained further what that meant, or who tied his hands, the assertion has been given various interpretations by analysts. 

Some analysts propound that Fru Ndi’s claim of having won the election may have been correct, and Mouelle’s hands were “tied”, forcing him to declare Biya the winner.

Another school of thought interpreted Dipanda Mouelle's assertion that "my hands are tied," to mean that though the poll was marred by fraud and irregularities, he had no choice but to declare Biya winner.

Dipanda Mouelle, the man

A native of Bonakou Bwapaki in Moungo Division of the Littoral Region, Alexis Dipanda Mouelle was a towering figure in Cameroon’s judiciary, having headed the Supreme Court for 24 years.

A magistrate of exceptional rank, he contributed in shaping Cameroon’s political history, as his 1992 election results declaration remains a landmark in Cameroon's politics.

Delivered during a period of intense civil unrests, the results, pundits say, solidified incumbent Paul Biya’s grip on power for decades till today.

Alexis Dipanda Mouelle was born on March 25, 1942, in Bonakou Bwapaki, a locality near Dibombari in the Littoral Region. He obtained his Baccalaureate in 1959 and entered the Federal University of Cameroon in 1960. 

He was part of the first graduating class of the Faculty of Law. After obtaining his law degree, he continued his studies in France, where he obtained a DES and DEA in judicial studies from the University of Paris in 1965.

Professional life

Alexis Dipanda Mouelle joined the judiciary on November 29, 1965. In December 1965, he was appointed Judge at the High Court of Yaounde and simultaneously held the positions of substitute judge and Special Advisor at the former Federal Court of Justice.

On August 14, 1971, he was appointed President of the Court of First Instance of Foumban, and later Head of the Judicial Professions Department, at the Directorate of Judicial Services Control of the Ministry of Justice, in October 1972. 

He also served as Attorney General at the Littoral Court of Appeal in Douala, from 1975 to 1980; before being appointed Secretary General of the Ministry of Justice on September 26, 1980.

He was appointed in December 1986 as Attorney General at the Supreme Court. on May 30, 1990, Dipanda Mouelle was appointed First President of the Supreme Court of Cameroon. He headed the Supreme Court for 24 years, until December 18, 2014, when he was replaced by Daniel Mekobe Sone.

Internationally, Dipanda Mouelle also held the positions of President of the 17th Session of the United Nations Committee against Torture; member of the International Institute of French Law, Expression and Inspiration, IDEF; and member of the Arbitration Chamber of the International Court of Justice at The Hague. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3780 of Tuesday May 05, 2026