By Njodzeka Kernyuy
In a message on Monday reaffirming his victory claim, Cameroon National Salvation Front presidential candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary urged the Constitutional Council to remember that the nation’s future lies in its hands.
“You have sworn to protect the Constitution and uphold the law,” Issa Tchiroma said. “You can either validate the truth of the ballot box and give Cameroon the peaceful change it demands, or endorse fraud and plunge our nation into uncertainty.”
Tchiroma suggested that if the Council rules against him, it would be willfully ignoring the evidence. “According to Tchiroma, if the Constitutional Council declares something else, it is as if they are saying, ‘We didn’t see; the evidence is everywhere,’” he implied.
He insisted that the people’s will is clear. “To him, the people voted overwhelmingly for change, for Tchiroma. They know it. So they should weigh carefully the consequences of the decision they are about to make,” the candidate argued.
Tchiroma said the Council must stand on the side of justice, truth, and the people. Their allegiance, he stressed, must be to the nation, not to a few individuals.
Speaking in an eight-minute video clip purportedly from his home in Garoua, the FSNC candidate stated, “The people on October 12 spoke loud and clear.”
Consequently, he also urged the incumbent, 92-year-old Paul Biya—who has ruled for 42 years—to concede defeat.
“You have ruled this country for 42 years. History is watching you,” Tchiroma said. “You still have one last chance, the chance to leave through the big door, as a statesman who respected the will of his people.”
He warned Biya not to end his legacy with “such blatant fraud.”
“Do not let your name go down in history as the man who cheated until the very end. You have often called yourself a beggar for peace, so leave power with honour before power leaves you.”
Beyond extending a “brotherly hand” to Paul Biya, he equally urged Cameroon’s neighbours—Nigeria and Chad—as well as the African Union, the European Union, and other international bodies not to remain silent.
“Your silence encourages dictatorship,” he stated, arguing that their voices are essential to protect peace.
Tchiroma also decried what he termed fake results from the war-torn Northwest and Southwest regions. He questioned how an area gripped by conflict could suddenly produce such high voter numbers for the person he holds responsible for the chaos.
Reaffirming his previous stance, he promised the people that their votes would not be in vain.
“I say this with all my heart and strength: your voice will not be stolen,” he declared. “This is not my victory; it is yours. It is not my triumph; it is that of the Cameroonian people.”
He urged his supporters to remain calm, cautioning that the regime seeks to intimidate them.
“But remember, your right to claim your victory is universal and undeniable. Defend your vote, because the only result we recognise is the true result from the ballot boxes.”
Cameroon, according to Tchiroma, stands at a crossroads. “We can either accept lies once more, or we take control of our destiny,” he said.
“I renew my promise to you: I will not betray your trust. I stand firm, determined to defend your victory won through sweat, tears, and sacrifice.”
