Cameroon’s Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, has announced that political parties which boycotted the 2020 legislative and municipal elections are not eligible to present a candidate for the upcoming presidential election scheduled for October 12, 2025. The statement, made during the First Bi-Annual Conference of Regional Governors in Yaoundé, has drawn scrutiny from legal experts and political actors.
Atanga Nji: “Matter Should Be Considered Closed”
Speaking on July 16, Minister Atanga Nji dismissed debates surrounding the eligibility of boycotting parties as “fallacious.”
“I want to be clear on this topic, and will say it with authority any political party that boycotted the legislative and municipal elections of February 9, 2020, cannot present a candidate for the 2025 presidential election,” he said.
Using a metaphor to reinforce his stance, Atanga Nji added:
“I will ask those who consider themselves intelligent not to cry more than the bereaved. Those who boycotted the elections are in a situation of funeral.”
He also urged all stakeholders to ensure peace and stability before, during, and after the polls, stating:
“Cameroon remains strong thanks to the vigilance of President Paul Biya: ‘Cameroon was not shaken during the 1992 elections, and it will not be shaken in 2025.’”
Legal Experts Say Ministry Has No Authority
Despite the firmness of Atanga Nji’s declaration, legal experts argue that he does not have the legal authority to determine who can run for president. According to Cameroon’s electoral laws, only Elections Cameroon (ELECAM), as the official election body, can validate or disqualify candidacies.
Maurice Kamto Responds: “No Legal Provision Bars Me”
The remarks are widely seen as a veiled reference to Maurice Kamto, leader of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM), whose party boycotted the 2020 elections in protest of what he described as flawed electoral processes and the unresolved Anglophone crisis.
Kamto, a former Minister Delegate and seasoned legal scholar, responded during a June 2025 meeting in Paris:
“There is no legal provision barring me from running in the upcoming presidential election scheduled for October 12, 2025.”
He has consistently defended the CRM’s decision to boycott the 2020 polls, stating in 2020:
“If someone rigs or someone who could not even have been a candidate wins, you cannot pretend to have played and win.”
Political Climate Heats Up Ahead of October Vote
With the presidential race drawing near and Kamto expected to contest, the political environment is gaining intensity. While the government emphasises stability and rule of law, legal debates over electoral rights and eligibility continue to unfold. The role of ELECAM and the judiciary is expected to be pivotal in the coming weeks.
