By Cassimania Faison
Following
the proclamation of result s of the 30th 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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