PAL Names Candidate But Leaves Door Open For a Coalition

The Liberal Alliance Party on Saturday, July 12, 2025, in Yaoundé, declared 39-year-old civil society actor Ateki Seta Caxton as its presidential candidate. This was during the party’s extraordinary congress, which was chaired by its president, Celestin Bedzigui. This is the first time that PAL will be contesting in a presidential election since its creation in 1991.

By investing in a young candidate and Anglophones, Celestin Bedzigui said that it was time politics in Cameroon looked past tribal lines.
“Choosing the party’s flag bearer not from where the party is popular is important because we have a situation where other party presidents think they are the only ones and natural candidates of their parties,” Celestin Bedzigui said.
“We want to show that it’s the wrong approach. What is necessary now is to choose people who are able to run the government. You cannot have a 95-year-old man saying he will run the country. It is crazy.” He noted.

PAL decided to name someone from the Northwest region because of the potential the person has.

Reaction of Ateki Seta Caxton

Following the party announcement, Ateki Seta Caxton, the chosen candidate, said it was historic. That’s because the president of the party with over 34 years of political experience endorsed a young person as the party’s candidate.

Ateki said him being the candidate breaks tribal frontiers, considering how politics has been played along tribal lines.
“What just happened changed the narrative. This is someone from the centre region and French-speaking endorsing someone from the Northwest region and English-speaking,” he said.

He was so grateful that the party is giving the younger ones the opportunity to lead. To him, that is how Cameroon should build, with youths at the forefront and elderly people guiding them.
“The vision is very great for Cameroon.” He added.

Ateki Seta Caxton was born in the Cameroon Northwest Region in 1986. He attended the University of Buea, where he obtained a BSc in History. He later schooled at the International Relations Institute, IRIC, and got a master’s from there. He is currently pursuing a PhD at a foreign university.

He is the CEO of NewSETA, an organisation working with all to promote democracy, peaceful coexistence and holistic development in Cameroon. He is a Federalist and a father of 3 kids, happily married and doing well as a family man. He has trained 10 cohorts (10,000) of young Cameroonians on leadership, democracy and political participation (REPAIR). He has national legitimacy; he has travelled to about 36 countries around the world.

PAL is open for coalition

Though it has chosen a candidate, it remains for a coalition. Talking to reporters, the president of the party indicated that the consensus candidate must be someone with certain ideals.

To him, the coalition must guarantee certain issues like power sharing – ministerial posts and public parastatals.

Party’s Manifesto

The party has structured its political and economic programme in ten points. Its immediate goal is to remove Cameroon from the IMF and focus on road construction while agriculture remains the core.

For its social programme, it plans to put a minimum social package that covers communication routes, sanitation, health, water, energy, primary health and education, among others.

Looking at its governance pillars, certain elected and appointed people must declare their assets. It promises to fight corruption, reduce the number of ministers to 30, and eliminate the Senate and Economic and Social Council.

It also promises to ensure separation of powers, create regional states and strengthen municipal authorities.

On the aspect of sovereignty, they promised to leave the FCFA currency, ensure transparent management of resources, and resolve the Anglophone crisis via dialogue. They plan to merge BIR, the presidential guard and the army as one.

Attended by other political actors

The Congress was attended by several political actors. Leaders of the UPC, UDC, PCRN and National Salvation Front.

In attendance also was Issa Tchiroma Bakary and Tomaino Madam Njoya. All of them were unanimous on a single opposition candidate that can bring change.

MMI