New twist in FECAVOLLEY election saga: Yaounde court annuls Bello Bourdane’s election as president.

Government through the Prime Minister, Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute had in July 2022 instructed the Minister of Sports and Physical Education to ensure that fresh elections at held at all national sports federation on or before December same year.

The electoral process at FECAVOLLEY dragged on till 2023, but rather saw two presidents elected at the helm of the federation.

Two factions held separate elective general assemblies, voting Bello Bourdane and re-electing Julien Serge Abouem to steer the affairs of the federation.

The cacophony has dragged on till now, has seen different bodies taking different stance on the fight.

Yaounde court annuls Bourdane’s election

Bello Bourdane was voted president of the Cameroon Volleyball Federation during an elective general assembly organised on January 20, at the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education.

The election was organised by the faction which considered itself as 2/3 of the general assembly of the federation.

Bourdane’s election was recognised by the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education and the Cameroon National Olympic and Sports Committee, CNOSC

He was subsequently made member of the Board of Directors of the CNOSC during the body’s elective general assembly on January 26, 2023.

However, his election at the helm of the federation was challenged in court by Julien Serge Abouem who has been president of the said FECAVOLLEY since 2013.

In a ruling on February 6, the Yaounde Court of First Instance, passed a judgment ordering the suspension of the convening of the elective general assembly by 2/3 of the members of FECAVOLLEY dated January 3 and signed by Mr Matip Elias.

The court decision came three just days after Serge Abouem was overwhelmingly re-elected during another general assembly of the federation which he had organised in Yaounde.

Abouem’s list had 100% of the 90 votes cast during the election.

International Volleyball Federation steps in

The celebration of Abouem and his supporters which followed the court ruling was short-lived, as the International Volleyball Federation on February 7, pronounced Bello Bourdane as the recognised president of the federation.

“Bello Bourdane was elected as President of the Cameroon Volleyball Federation, FECAVOLLEY, earlier this year in the country's capital of Yaounde. The country's National Olympic Committee confirmed that the elections were conducted in accordance with the applicable statutes of the Cameroon Volleyball Federation and verified its membership,” FIVB said in a statement published on its website.

The international volleyball governing body further said: “Both the National Olympic Committee and the Ministry of Sports have recognised the elections as well as the FIVB and the African Volleyball Confederation, CAVB,”.

“The former FECAVOLLEY vice-president Bello Bourdane received 88 valid votes cast. Meanwhile, Dr Elias Matip was elected for the post of vice-president and Joe Archange Sama Ngwana as head of the financial department. Carole Ambattab was elected Secretary General,” it concluded.

More confusion

The Guardian Post Sports gathered that the same Tuesday FIVB pronounced Bourdane as FECAVOLLEY boss, the international volleyball governing body also transmitted to Serge Abouem, the registration details for the 2023 World Youth Championships, designating Mr. Aliroux Betsem, new deputy Secretary General of the Abouem led-team, main focal point at the federation.

Bestem is expected to coordinate the visa, accommodation, accreditation process for the participation of Cameroon U19 Girls Volleyball team at the 2023 U19 Girls World Championships which will take place in Croatia and Hungary.

Bourdane says time for reconciliation

Speaking to reporters in Yaounde on Thursday February 9, Bourdane who election has been duly recognized by national and international sports bodies said it is time to reconcile all actors of the volleyball family in the country.

“Reconciliation is around the table, we want to bring together all members of the Cameroon volleyball family so we grow together. This means that we have to speak to all actors, we intend to bring Cameroonian volleyball to a level that has never been seen before; we intend to do this by grouping actors all players, trainers from all part of Cameroon,” the new FECAVOLLEY boss said.

He promised to seek the expertise of members of the outgoing bureau.

The volleyball administrator added: “In all humility, we want to go closer to all actors of the volleyball family, especially the outgoing bureau. We want to first of all recognise them for the marvelous work they did, we are only taking the relay to further develop our volleyball.

For us to take our volleyball to a higher level, we have to do it with them because they have the experience, everybody is important,”.

Bourdane said with elections now over, it’s time to turn over a new leaf.

“Elections are behind us, we should be realistic; we are not going to spent all our time in the courts. Now that we have legitimacy at the national and international level, we are calling on all members of the volleyball family to join us and support our project to continue to develop volleyball in the country,” he concluded.

Julien Abouem vows to fight on

Shortly after the FIVB statement Tuesday, Julien Serge Abouem and team announced they are not ready to let go and will fight to maintain their place at the helm of the country’s volleyball governing body.

As reported by camvolley.com, Abouem in a statement said the decision by FIVB may not be in conformity with internal rules, citing numerous instances that still maintain him and his team for the FECAVOLLEY top job. 

 “This exchange does not reflect the position of the FIVB. The emails were sent before the court ruling which was done in conformity with the internal laws,” Abouem said in the statement seen by The Guardian Post Sports.

According to Abouem, FIVB might have gone against the internal rules which article 2.2.1 of it, he says, stipulates that the federation must be recognised by sports authorities and other major considerations.

“This is very different from “elected officers of federations must be recognised by the national sports authorities,” Abouem said in part.

“The national sports authorities do recognise FECAVOLLEY, which has been an active national sports federation since 1960. The problem of the choice of the leaders by the elections is solved by article 1.6.1 which clearly stipulates that the president of the federation presides over the elective general assemblies and signs the minutes of the elections,” he added, describing the FIVB decision as an “an international conspiracy”.

Origin of stalemate

Following the announced renewal of executive bureaus of various national sports federations in 2022, the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education put out a circular to guide the exercise.

The FECAVOLLEY team in office at the time led by Serge Abouem didn’t however agree with the procedure which was put in place by the sports ministry.

The ministry had accused the Abouemn-led team of failing to respect the prescribed procedures during the elections.

MINSEP demanded the elections be conducted by members of the 2013 general assembly, the same bureau which voted Julien Serge Abouem in as president, years after he had served as FECAVOLLEY vice president.

Julien Serge Abouem and team however described the ministerial instructions as unlawful. They rather opted to carry on with the elections using the members of the 2018 general assembly which the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education has refused to recognised.

These battles led to the ministry banning the holding of the elective general assembly at the federation on several occasions.

The ministry however backed the election organised by the 2/3 faction, consisting of members of the 2013 general assembly.