SDF’s G27 vow to boycott upcoming General Assembly over Chairman’s “constitutional violations”

By Tata Mbunwe

The 27 top members of the Social Democratic Front party who sued Chairman Ni John Fru Ndi for allegedly violating the party’s constitution last month have vowed to boycott the SDF’s upcoming general assembly scheduled for this February 25.

The convention is also meant for them to elect a new Chairman after Fru Ndi, the party’s founder and first Chairman agreed to step down.

At a press conference in Douala February 22, the disgruntled party officials, who have now been termed the G27, said attending it would mean legitimizing the Chairman’s alleged constitutional violations.

Fru Ndi, who founded the SDF in 1990, is being accused of violating the constitution in at least four decisions he took last year on behalf of the party, including the appointment of members of the SDF shadow cabinet and national executive committee, NEC.

The G27 are blaming him alongside the party’s First Vice National Chairman, Hon Joshua Osih, for hijacking the party and for puting selfish interest ahead of collective interest.

“Rather than apply the recommendations that were widely applauded in the party, the National Chairman went ahead and created an artificial majority in NEC, with illegal appointments that filled NEC with his lackeys, so as to create a balance of power in his favour in NEC, for them to continue using the party for their private interest,” the G27 members said at the press conference.

“This pushed us to meet at Mbouda to constitute an internal pressure group to push for the return to the fundamental principles of the party and the strict respect of the party’s constitution,” they added.

Last month, they took Chairman Fru Ndi to the Nfou Court of First Instance in Yaounde over alleged constitutional violation. They want him to annul all the decisions he took last year.

But the Chairman denied all accusations of constitutional violation in a comment to MMI.

He said there was an attempt to destroy the SDF, adding that his disgruntled comrades refused to use the party’s internal problem-solving channels to address their grievances, but rather chose the open court, where the party’s name will be rubbed in the mud.

Mimi Mefo Info