By Tata Mbunwe
The National President of the Cameroon Democratic Union (UDC) and presidential candidate, Patricia Tomaino Ndam Njoya, has denounced what she describes as “massive and deliberate irregularities” that marred Cameroon’s October 12 election.
In a post-election statement issued from Foumban on October 14, the UDC leader, who was the only woman among 12 candidates, said the voting process was marred by “grave violations” of the law.
These range from polling stations established in private and inaccessible locations to ballot box stuffing and manipulation of electoral registers.
“Our field teams, polling officers, and representatives reported consistent irregularities throughout the national territory,” Ndam Njoya said.
She cited cases where polling stations were located in military barracks, fictitious polling units appeared on official lists, and party representatives were deliberately kept at a distance from voter registers, preventing them from verifying voter identities.
Her statement comes after MMI reported, with the help of citizen journalists, several cases of alleged fraud or fraud attempts at some polling stations in the country, particularly in the Anglophone Regions where armed conflict constrained opposition presence at polling stations.
Ndam Njoya alleged multiple instances of double voting, use of undistributed cards to stuff ballot boxes, and the presence of deceased persons on voter lists that were sometimes posted less than 24 hours before voting.
In several polling stations, she added, ballot boxes were unsealed or damaged, while intimidation and expulsion of opposition representatives were common.
“The Democratic Union of Cameroon cannot condone such a denial of democracy,” Ndam Njoya noted.
“We do not identify with this electoral sham and refuse to allow the sovereign will of the Cameroonian people to be hijacked by manipulation, fear, or fraud.”
The UDC leader called for a comprehensive reform of Cameroon’s Electoral Code, insisting that the current framework is “deeply biased and structurally defective.”
She also demanded the immediate and transparent publication of all polling station results in the presence of party agents, civil society, and independent observers.
Aside from these urgent reforms, Ndam Njoya said a national dialogue on electoral governance should be convened to “restore public confidence and institutional legitimacy.”
“Our policy is not that of one party against another,” she emphasized. “It is that of truth against manipulation, justice against arbitrariness, and dignity against resignation.”
Her observations starkly contrasts a joint report from the African Union and the Economic Community of Central African States, which described the process as peaceful, orderly, and in line with democratic principles.
