When forgery emanates from Unity Palace!.

Unlike in the Watergate sex indignity in which only President Nixon was at the core, the case in Cameroon exonerates, President Biya, fondly called by his admirers as “Mr Clean”.

At least six of his top aides, close associates or confidantes, have, over the years, created scandals that are not simply political succession squabbles or social media controversies but tend to create mistrust and even legitimacy of decisions, especially in a regime in which institutional architecture is strongly marked by the power of the Presidency.

For more than a week, the national and international media have been teeming with a supposed presidential decree appointing a Vice President.

The messenger is said to have arrived at the State broadcaster, Cameroon Radio Television, CRTV, in a convoy fortified by “security officials” in mufti. 

He was later arrested, thanks to CRTV cameras that helped security officers to fish him out.

It has not been confirmed if the convoy members were actually security escorts or were just impersonating. What has however been confirmed as being reported by the media is that “the stamps are authentic, and the signature matches that of the Head of State.”

What is being classified as a “failed institutional coup that would have plunged the country into absolute political razzmatazz”, if it was announced, is bobbling with unanswered questions:  How did the plotters obtain the original presidential seal when he is out of the country?

Is there a mole at the Unity Palace, with a vicious intention to sabotage the regime? 

What is however without question is that the man who physically delivered the decree at CRTV on June 12, 2026, had since been held at the State Secretariat for Defense, for investigation and may open a can of worms.

President Biya is reported to have instructed the Minister of State, Secretary General at the Presidency, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, to follow the matter to ensure justice is done, no matter whose ox is gored.

The latest scoop by Jeune Afrique came after Minister Sadi Rene had in a June 30, 2026 Press Release, denounced an attempt at manipulation and called for vigilance.

He said in light of the situation, which has been “making headlines for some time and giving rise to all sorts of speculation among the public”, the government “wishes to clarify that the dissemination of official documents in our country, including decrees, orders, appointments, ordinances, and legal notices issued by the Prime Minister, ministers, or any other authority empowered to sign them, is subject to strict and regulated procedures designed to guarantee their reliability, credibility, and enforceability against third parties”.

Furthermore, he added that when documents originate from the Presidency, their publication follows “an official, codified, and centralised process within the Presidency”.       

Moreover, given the “importance of a Presidential decree appointing a Vice President of the Republic of Cameroon, it goes without saying that all necessary precautions would be taken to ensure its publication through official channels”, he added.

Regarding the origin and authenticity of the decree, “which, quite clearly, was never signed by the appropriate authority” he explained that the bearer of the decree has been apprehended and is currently in the custody of the competent authorities, who have launched a thorough investigation to shed all necessary light on the matter.

He also clarified that the suspect is not listed anywhere among the staff of the Presidency of the Republic and, consequently, is in no way authorised to carry out missions of that nature.

Therefore, “the government of the Republic urges all our fellow citizens to exercise great vigilance and discernment while awaiting the outcome of the ongoing investigation,”

While justice is awaited, reports that the stamp on the fake decree is authentic, brings to question the calibre of people close to the Unity Palace.

It is not the first scandal linked to the Unity Palace. Five Secretaries General or their assistants at the Presidency; Ephraim Inoni, Titus Edzoa, Jean-Marie Atangana Mebara: and Marafa Hamidou Yaya had all been involved in scandals and jailed.

Also implicated in a slippery slope that attracted international media reporting was the 2008 theft of a briefcase, belonging to the Head of State, at the Intercontinental Hotel in Geneva.

The suspect, Lieutenant Luc Emane, one of the President’s aides on the trip, was immediately flown back to Cameroon and incarcerated. 

In December 2008, news reports noted that a Presidential decree stripped him of his rank and sent him to punitive retirement.

With such a bleak picture involving the Presidency, the fake decrees and theft are not a new phenomenon. 

They call for vigilance as the Government Spokesman has said. 

But more importantly, scrupulous character checks should be made before employing those who work at the Unity Palace.

Since crime is inevitable, the government must, in openness and accountability, keep Cameroonians abreast with all details when they are committed, rather than wait for the media to open the stinking cupboards before it defensively reacts.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3836 of Friday July 03, 2026