Former Cameroonian presidential hopefuls Akere Muna and Cabral Libii recently convened in Paris, France. Despite publicising their meeting with photos, the specifics of their conversation remain undisclosed. This rendezvous comes amid growing discussions advocating for unity among opposition parties in Cameroon to contest the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement in the upcoming 2025 presidential election.
Following their Paris encounter, the Paris branch of the Cameroon Party for National Reconciliation (PRCN) shared a post on X, sparking speculation about Akere Muna potentially endorsing Cabral Libii. The post, shared by Muna himself, included the hashtags “#cabrallibii2025 #registeryourself” and featured a quote: “Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.” The caption dubbed the meeting as the “ATP, Alliance for Political Transition, Meeting of Two Great Elite Spirits.”
While Akere Muna has yet to reveal his stance, reminiscent of his approach in the 2018 presidential race, Cabral Libii has openly expressed his readiness to contest for the presidency. Just days before his Paris meeting with Muna, Libii declared, “There is no mediocrity of a minister that will prevent me from being a candidate for the 2025 presidential election.”
However, Libii’s journey to the presidency faces internal challenges within his party, the PRCN, particularly in his conflict with the party’s founder, Robert Kona. Despite attempts by Libii’s camp to oust Kona from the party, their actions were not recognized by Cameroon’s Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, who holds the authority to legalize political parties in Cameroon. In a retaliatory move, Kona dismissed Libii and his executive from the party, enjoying the backing of the Minister of Territorial Administration. Many interpret this as a deliberate effort by Paul Atanga Nji to thwart Libii’s presidential aspirations.
Amidst the turmoil within the PRCN, a court case in the Adamawa region is pending judgment to determine the legitimate leader of the party.
With the recent meeting between Cabral and Akere, the question arises: will Akere Muna extend his support to Cabral Libii? At 44 years old, Cabral Libii stands as one of the youngest politicians in Cameroon, challenging the incumbent President Paul Biya, who is now 91 years old. Libii’s political prominence was further highlighted by his invitation to the swearing-in ceremony of 44-year-old Bassirou Diomaye Faye, the new President of Senegal.
While there are calls for an opposition coalition in Cameroon, it remains uncertain if opposition candidates will unite, especially with Maurice Kamto of CRM positioning himself for leadership or no one else, following his second-place finish in the 2018 presidential election.
