ELECAM Reinstates 120,000 Deleted Voters on Electoral Rolls

Elections Cameroon (ELECAM), the organ managing elections in Cameroon, has announced the reinstatement of 120,000 names previously deleted from the electoral rolls due to fingerprint irregularities.

The Director General of Elections, Dr. Erik Essousse, confirmed that the names would be displayed this December, ensuring that affected voters can participate in the 2025 elections.

Dr. Essousse made the announcement on Thursday, November 27, 2024, in Yaoundé during the second edition of the National Consultation Platform between ELECAM and stakeholders in the electoral process.

Outcry Over Deleted Names

The decision comes in response to public outcry following the disappearance of 120,000 registered voters from the provisional electoral rolls published in October 2024.

The Coalition of Cameroon Federalist Groups and Activists (CCFGA) had sounded the alarm, describing the situation as alarming and urging vigilance at every stage of the electoral process.

In a statement released on November 1, 2024, signed by its chairperson, Takie Michael, the CCFGA criticized ELECAM’s handling of the biometric data.

“The responsibility of ensuring that all voter registration equipment functions properly and accurately captures biometric data, including fingerprints, lies with ELECAM and not with the voters,” he emphasized

The issue also drew criticism from the opposition leader, Prof. Maurice Kamto, President of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC).

Prof. Kamto denounced ELECAM’s justification for the deletions as dubious, alleging that no departmental branches had certified the biometric irregularities.

“Even if there were citizens whose registrations were problematic due to alleged fingerprint issues, ELECAM should have compiled a district-wise list of those affected and invited them to regularize their registration within legal deadlines, rather than excluding them arbitrarily. This issue highlights a technical fault on the part of ELECAM, not the voters,” he argued.

ELECAM’s move to reinstate the voters increases the total number of registered voters for 2024 to 875,085, up from the 755,085 previously confirmed.

This figure exceeds ELECAM’s initial target of 650,000 voters for 2024.

According to the updated statistics, 8,236,960 Cameroonians are now eligible to participate in the upcoming elections.

Many view the reinstatement as a crucial move to restore public trust and uphold the integrity of the electoral process.

Cameroon will hold presidential elections in 2025. Eligible citizens must enrol on the electoral register as opposition leaders push for a power change after 42 years of President Paul Biya.