I negotiated for Free, Fair and Transparent Elections With Mr. Biya –Fru Ndi

Ni John Fru Ndi (SDF chieftain)

By Fai Cassian Ndi

Ni John Fru Ndi (SDF national chairman) has declared that the negotiations between the SDF and President Biya were to guarantee a free, fair and transparent senatorial election in Cameroon. Ni John Fru Ndi made the state to journalists at his Ntarinkon Residence in Bamenda on April 29, 2013 after Supreme Court proclaimed the official results of the last April 14 senatorial elections in which the ruling CPDM won 56 seats and the SDF won 14 seats. Ni John Fru Ndi however regretted that the outcome of the election is not what he negotiated for, adding that the election was marred by numerous irregularities, including the caging of councilors as well as oath taking in some localities. He said it is regrettable that all these malpractices took place in the eyes of security agents, journalists and even ELECAM officials.

When quizzed whether he would accept if appointed senator by President Paul Biya, SDF chieftain said that as a politician he would prefer to go to the senate on the mandate of the people and not through appointment.  But yet Fru Ndi added that if he is appointed minister, he would never accept and that if he is appointed to any other position of responsibility he would have to think over it.

On why the SDF party had prepared a petitioned against the conduct of the election but dropped it later, Fru Ndi reminded journalists that he told Alexis Dipanda Mouelle that he was never going to appear in his court for any political complain after the court failed him in the aftermath of the 2011 presidential elections by rejecting all petitions filed by disgruntled political parties.

Taking on those who say the SDF headquarters has been moved from the North West to the West Region, he said that “North West remains the stronghold of the SDF. It is not because the SDF has no senators from the North West that people should think that the headquarters of the party be transferred.”

However, public opinion is still skeptical as to whether Ni John Fru Ndi told journalists was what he agreed with President Biya before the elections. It is even alleged that Fru Ndi might have been scammed by Paul Biya. This is so because following the results of the polls, the SDF chieftain was instead humiliated and put to shame in the North West Region.

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