PM Yang, El Hadj Baba and the Mobile Money Bank on Polling Day

 By Cassimania Faison

Following the proclamation of result s of the 30^th September Council elections in the North West region partial results put the CPDM at 16 Councils and the SDF at 15 other councils. For three other councils, both parties will share councilors but given that the CPDM took the lead, they will have to produce the mayors, thereby taking the total number of CPDM mayors in the region to 19. However, since some petitions have been tabled at the Supreme Court, it is probably clear that the courts will cancel some results given the irregularities.

In Fundong for example, allegations are rife at that in one of the polling stations, instead of 136 votes, the agents added the figure (1) and the results escalidated to 1136 for the CPDM party. In Nkambe Central, indicators are rife at that the number of vote casts was out numbered, meaning that the numbers of votes casted in some polling stations were far above the registered number of voters. More so, another worry that emanates from the polls is that instead of 23, 300 voters, the council commission declared in its result sheet that 23,600 persons registered for the September 30, Municipal Elections in Nkambe. The law, we gather is clear that in areas where the number of vote casts are more than registered voters, the results in such areas are annulled and or elections re-conducted in the area.

Enter Yang Philemon

As council commission continue to declare partial results of the September 30, 2013 in the North West Region, Philemon Yang, Prime Minister, Head of Government cum CPDM campaign Coordinator for the North West Region has been faulted for parading polling stations on polling day. The opposition SDF has castigating the move by this state personality who with a convoy of cars paraded `into Donga Mantung Division on polling day. Shewa David, SDF parliamentary candidate for Ako/Misaje is aghast that Prime Minister Philemon Yang was spotted in Misaje on polling day moving from one polling station to another. “The law doesn’t give room for state officials to monitor elections”.  A similar nitpick has also resurfaced in Nkambe, where is reported to have stormed the Divisional headquarters accompanied by El Hadj Baba Danpoullo alias Ndawara on polling day. The question as to whether Yang used his position as Prime Minister to influence votes abound high. Ndansi Elvis, NUDP Parliamentary candidate for Ako/Misaje vomited that there is no doubt that money changed hands on polling day.

Maah Isaac, SDF head of the Council list for Misaje says that it is inadmissible that a state personality should be visiting polling stations on polling day as if he were a candidate or general coordinator of ELECAM. “No one is above the law; such acts should be punished by law. I am taking the Prime Minister to Court”, Shewa David says. “What was the PM doing in Nkambe and Misaje. This is a serious matter” Mbeh Wilfred, SDF Council list leader for Nkambe remarked.  To Hon. Awudu Mbaya nothing would have taken Yang Philemon to Nkambe apart from the fact that he wanted to influence and intimidate voters. According to Hon. Awudu vote buying was epidemic in Nkambe as a woman who was given 2000 FCFA to vote for the CPDM party decided to cast the ballot including the 2000 FCFA note into the ballot box. “We are disappointed with the output of ELECAM Nkambe Council branch and we are going to take the President of ELECAM, Director of Elections and the Nkambe Council Branch of Elecam to court tell the world how Nkambe managed to have conflicting figures (total number of registered votes) in the Municipal and Legislative elections”, he revealed. Hon Awudu Mbaya also reiterated that this is proof that figures were doctored reasons why the numbers of vote casts were more than the total number of registered voters in some polling stations. “It is shameful that the total number of registered voters in Nkambe defers in the Municipal and Legislative Elections. Until ELECAM tells us whether we had two voters registers during recompilation”. It is alleged that the Prime Minister arrived Misaje and Nkambe with a mobile bank which turned tables in favour of the CPDM. Notwithstanding, while Yang Philemon and Baba Danpuollo were in Nkambe to off-root Hon. Awudu Mbaya and Esther Ngala, the SDF overtook him in his own fief winning the Nkor Council. This, a school of thought holds is pitiful of a politician who was chasing the shadows on polling day with a mobile bank of money. “Now that the chips are down with Yang Philemon in his own backyard, many things are going to happen” an authoritative CPDM voice mocked.

Did Yang Influence CPDM Results?

It should be recalled that during the Senatorial Elections, CPDM councilors were caged and paid off to vote along party lines.

However, according to the results ,the CPDM lost five councils to the SDF while the SDF also lost three other councils to the CPDM ,leaving the difference in the number of councilors these councils have .The16  councils that will henceforth be run fully by the CPDM include Fonfuka in Boyo division, Elak-Oku  and Mbiame in Bui Division,Misaje,Nkambe and Nwa in Donga Mantung division, Benakuma and Wum in Menchum Division,Bali,Bamenda I in Mezam Division, Andek,Njikwa and Widikum in Momo Division as well as Babessi, Ndop and Balikumbat in Ngoketunjia Division.

The SDF on its part will fully man Belo,and Njinikom in Boyo Division, Kumbo, Jakiri, Nkor and Nkum in Bui Division, Ako and Ndu in Donga Mantung Division ,Furu Awa and Zhoa in Menchum Division ,Bafut ,Bamenda II, Bamenda III and Tubah in Mezam,and Batibo in Momo Division.

The three other councils to be shared, but with CPDM to provide the mayors are Fundong in Boyo division, Santa in Mezam Division and Mbengwi in Momo Division

The councils that the CPDM lost to the SDF include Jakiri and Nkor in Bui Division,Ako in Donga-Mantung Division, Furu-Awa and Zhoa in Menchum Division. On the other hand, the SDF also lost some councils to the CPDM notably Nkambe in Donga Mantung, Bamenda I in Mezam,as well as Babessi in Ngoketunjia division; Between 2007 and 2013,Santa council was shared between CPDM and SDF ,but with a mayor from the SDF ,Nkambe ,Fundong was fully SDF while Mbengwi which also had a councilor from the APF was run by mayor Tah George Mbah of the SDF who is presently in detention over the embezzlement of communal stamps money wahala.

Some 5,130 Votes Wasted In Time Of Great Need.

Though there was a very high demand for votes on Election Day, thousands of voters who registered actually turned up at the polls could not validate their votes for any of the candidates on the lists of the various political parties. The Sun gathered that some votes which were not properly cast, like double ballot papers in one envelop as well as empty envelops in the ballot box amounted to 5,130.

Out of this number, 511 null votes came from Boyo division, 660 from Bui division, 1,008 in Donga-Mantung division, 526 in Menchum division, 1,638 in Mezam division, 344 in Momo division and 443 in Ngoketunjia division.

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