Paul Atanga Nji Blurs Lines Between Ministry and CPDM

Cameroon’s Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, appears to have mistaken his role in government for that of a party official within the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM). Although his ministry is responsible for overseeing political party activities in the country, it does not authorise him to use state facilities for CPDM-related gatherings.

Recently, Minister Atanga Nji hosted a delegation from the Union of the Peoples of Cameroon (UPC) at the Ministry of Territorial Administration (Minat) building. According to a statement from the ministry’s communication department, the UPC delegation came to reaffirm its alliance with the CPDM and express support for President Paul Biya’s candidacy in the upcoming elections.

Abuse of Office

The meeting should have taken place at a party office or another suitable venue, not in a government building that serves the state, not the ruling party.

The delegation’s mission, under the direction of UPC Secretary General Hon. Robert Bapooh Lipot, was primarily to strengthen the UPC’s alliance with the CPDM. “During the meeting, Hon. Bapooh Lipot reiterated that the UPC remains firmly aligned with the CPDM, highlighting that the alliance is legitimate and ongoing,” the ministry’s information department stated.

The department also shared that Lipot presented the formal Alliance Decision, initially signed by the late UPC Secretary-General Augustin Frédéric Kodock. “Hon. Bapooh Lipot announced that the UPC will support President Paul Biya’s candidature in the upcoming 2025 presidential elections, a decision in line with the recommendations of the party’s Congress and commitments made by Kodock,” the ministry added. Lipot also expressed gratitude for President Biya’s recognition of national heroes, such as Ruben Um Nyobé, Laurent-François Moumié, Ernest Ouandié, and Abel Kingué.

“Thanks to President Biya’s leadership, the UPC is now represented in the Senate of Cameroon,” Lipot said, noting that his party’s political vision aligns with President Biya’s agenda.

While the CPDM already has its own Secretary General, Jean Nkueti, with a headquarters in Yaoundé, the UPC leadership chose to meet with Minister Paul Atanga Nji, who also serves as the CPDM coordinator for Mezam division in the Northwest region.

UPC in Factions

This meeting at the Minat offices occurred just days after another faction of the UPC endorsed Barrister Akere Muna as their candidate for the 2025 presidential elections. The situation highlights growing divisions within the UPC, as different factions seem to be backing different political directions.

Mimi Mefo Info