Looking from the Looking Glass: The Blind Bluff People's Call for Biya's Candidature

By Fai Cassian Ndi

President Paul Biya is naturally the natural candidate of the CPDM says Gregoire Owona, the Deputy Secretary General of that party. This was made famous by the fact that as Chairman of the ruling CPDM, he is by that position a natural candidate for the upcoming Presidential elections. Of late, CPDM militants have been issuing People's Calls and motions of support urging their constitutional candidate to run for the upcoming Presidential elections. This is however cynical given that as Chairman of the party, President Biya is already a natural candidate. The most intriguing is whether something happened or whether President Biya had lost grip of his status as natural candidate? Or could we say that by this declarations CPDM militants are indirectly telling him that "we have met the enemy and he is us!" 

Seemingly, CPDM militants seem self-absorbed and even obsessed by the fear of their own acts and the fear is fear itself. Paul Biya knows how to play the jungle drum and CPDM overzealous militants can't understand the beat. 

To the opposition parties, CPDM anxiety over the threat of Biya's candidature needs an antidote. That antidote combines fact and reason. Tragically, fear has become a greater menace to the CPDM than the over 350 opposition parties in Cameroon. Speculations are rife at that President Biya will announce a consultative meeting with the over 350 political parties to chart a way forward for the looming political deadlock in the country. According to a hint the issues to be discussed would involved around anticipated Presidential election, probably, in 2017. Accordingly, President Biya wants to prepare his quiet exit from politics but the pressure from the Essinga group is becoming unbearable. Everyone loves a good political gaffe, but Biya seems to have elevated the verbal blunder to the level of art that his supporters see him as a political Maradona. His rhetorical nature can come from anywhere: being a bit out of touch and being a little undefined, opposition leaders say Paul Biya has nothing to offer. And he has nothing to gain either. Interestingly, the Social Democratic Front-SDF allegedly postponed the Yaounde NEC meeting last weekend due to Biya's awaited pronouncement another confidential source hinted.

To the man in the street, President Biya should apologize that he fooled millions of fools and has decided to reject the Call for his candidature. Yet all this does not change the observed results. The early call for President Biya has seemingly not produce the desired effect. One can even say that it has been counter productive because it reawaken old demons of the Paul Biya regime (the books published from prison). The famous Biya before the CPDM has triggered the opposition and sealed lips of CPDM MPs and Senators. 

The debate on the revision of the constitution and anticipated elections have become almost unbearable lately to the regime. The Deputy Secretary General of the CPDM, Gregoire Owona lambasted some CPDM bigwigs for ignorantly signing Calls for President Biya. To him, they do not know their party’s text. The question as to whether the President of the Senate, Marcel Niat Njifenji, President the National Assembly, Cavaye Yeguie Djibril, Prime Minister Philemon Yang, former Prime Minister Peter Mafany Musonge, Ministers; Laurent Essso, Henri Eyebe Ayissi, Madeleine Tcheunte, Paul Atangana Nji, former Minister Benjamin Itoe, Senator Nfon Mukete, Senator Thomas Tobbo Eyoum and others who have been on the forefront of “the people’s call” know what they are doing is making headlines in the media.

However, it is alleged Paul Biya is more concerned with the pedigree of the next President of Cameroon. According to what we gathered, an Anglophone candidate with international reputation is favourite. This revelation however ties with the campaign launched by a Bamenda based organization that has been advocating for a unique Anglophone candidate. 

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