Cameroon: Paul Biya's opinion on his candidacy is expected to end the cacophony within the RDPC

Cameroon: Paul Biya’s opinion on his candidacy is expected to end the cacophony within the RDPC

ByThe Mwebantu Team

Three months before the presidential election scheduled for October in Cameroon, the vagueness persists as for the candidacy of the current head of state, Paul Biya. While the government spokesman, René-Emmanuel Sadi, spoke of a “50/50” during an interview with RFI on Monday, July 7, the Party in power, the Democratic Rally of the Cameroonian People (RDPC), is categorical: Paul Biya is their candidate.

In a declaration granted to the same channel, Jacques Fame Ndongo, spokesperson for the RDPC and Minister of State for Higher Education, said unambiguous that the president in office will represent the party during the presidential election in October.

“The RDPC candidate is appointed,” he said. “Article 27, paragraph 3 of the party statutes is clear: the national president of the RDPC is automatically the candidate for the presidential election. It is his excellence Paul Biya. Everything else is only assum. »»

Asked about the lack of formal confirmation of Paul Biya himself, Jacques Fame Ndongo insisted on the legitimacy of his sources. “I carried out all possible and real checks. The information that I give you is drawn from very good source, “he said, without confirming a recent meeting with the Head of State.

This insurance displayed by the party contrasts with the more prudent remarks of the government spokesperson, who stressed that no decision had been officially taken to date concerning a possible candidacy of the president. A divergence of tone that some observers perceive as revealing internal tensions. Jacques Fame Ndongo, for his part, refutes any cacophony. “There is no confusion. Minister Sadi speaks on behalf of the government. I speak on behalf of the party. There is no party-state. »»

This media outing nevertheless relaunches questions about governance and coordination at the Cameroonian state summit, while President Paul Biya, 91, has been in power since 1982. His possible candidacy for a new mandate remains a highly sensitive subject in the country and within the political class.

Pending an official declaration of the principal concerned, the RDPC maintains its line: Paul Biya is the designated candidate of the party, and any other hypothesis is, according to his leaders, only pure speculation.

The Mwebantu Team
The Mwebantu Team

Led by Nia, the insightful editor-in-chief, Kwame, our technology expert, and Amara, the bold field reporter, the Mwebantu team weaves the vibrant narrative of Africa every day, forging a narrative bridge between the continent and the world. Their shared passion illuminates the mission of Mwebantu News, making African voices resonate on the global stage.