More than a week after Cameroon’s October 12 presidential election, the country remains in suspense as the official verdict is awaited between incumbent Paul Biya and his challenger, former minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary.
The Constitutional Council (CC), the only body legally empowered to certify the results, has until October 26 to make its proclamation.
The tension escalated when Tchiroma declared himself the winner on October 14, two days after the election, preempting the CC.
Faced with the lack of official recognition, Tchiroma initiated a documentary campaign, starting October 19, by publishing what he claims are the original minutes from 18 departments, representing approximately 80% of the national electorate. These published documents attribute significant majorities to him, including 78.31% of the vote in Wouri compared to 12.41% for Paul Biya.
Tchiroma simultaneously denounced widespread irregularities, including ballot stuffing, falsified minutes, and mathematical inconsistencies that he claims render the electoral administration’s figures unreliable. He has since sent formal requests to the CC and departmental commissions, demanding a verification of document integrity and the suspension of any proclamation based on falsified records.
He also issued an international appeal to the African Union, the European Union, the United Nations, and the French and American governments, urging them to document and share their findings on irregularities.
The Cameroonian government has strongly condemned Tchiroma’s actions, describing his self-proclamation as “irresponsible behavior” and a “sham.” The Ministry of Territorial Administration denounced his move as a “conspiratorial and anti-republican approach” aimed at disrupting the electoral process. The government insists that the election was fair, citing 5,575 observers who noted only minor issues.
The G20 coalition, comprising twenty opposition parties, also condemned Tchiroma’s initiative as “illegal,” stating the official count was still underway when he declared victory. They called for the CC to establish the electoral truth and requested an investigation into all complaints of fraud.
Despite the condemnation, Tchiroma has maintained his position, asserting that only the count derived from authentic ballot boxes will be recognized.
Meanwhile, the Electoral Council has established the National Commission for the General Vote Counting, a 33-member body composed of magistrates, administrators, and candidate delegates, to transparently compile the official results.
The crisis highlights a clash between the institutional legitimacy claimed by the CC and the documentary legitimacy asserted by Tchiroma through the direct publication of purported original minutes. The nation now awaits the Constitutional Council’s final word by October 26, 2025.
AC/fss/abj/APA