By Colbert Gwain
As I prepared to share my thoughts on the 40th anniversary celebrations of the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) party that took place last March 24, 2025, I was struck by the deafening calls from all 360 sections of the party across Cameroon, urging incumbent President Paul Biya to seek reelection in the upcoming October 2025 presidential elections. This fervent display of support reminded me of an anecdotal incident a friend once shared with me about the courtship experiences of his peers in the Muteff village in Fundong Subdivision of the then Menchum Division of Cameron’s North West Region in the 1980s.
Despite the village being surrounded by beautiful women and girls, it was amusing to see how his age-mates would gather at the compound hosting girls from neighboring communities like Belo, Anyajua and other far-flung communities who had come to visit their relations. Since Muteff lacked bars and relaxation spots, socialization occurred at the compound where guests stayed overnight.
In the village, the ultimate status symbol was a four-battery shortwave radio. To impress the visiting ladies, interested boys would take turns entering the multipurpose parlor of the house where the girls were staying, radios in hand. Each boy would try to outdo the others by increasing the volume and switching between stations, despite the cacophony of sounds. The underlying assumption was that the louder the radio, the more attention one would receive from the ladies.
However, as the night wore on, the girls would gradually doze off, and the Muteff boys would reluctantly return to their homes, already planning their next strategic move for the following day.
The recent calls for President Paul Biya to seek reelection in the upcoming October Presidential elections are quite interesting. It’s almost as if the various sections of the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) party are competing to show their devotion to Biya, much like the suitors in Andrew Nyah’s Muteff village story.
The 40th-anniversary celebrations of the CPDM party were quite the spectacle, with each section trying to outdo the others in their attempts to woo President Paul Biya. It’s almost as if they were competing suitors, each trying to win the heart of the bride – in this case, Biya’s agreement to run for re-election and launch campaigns in their respective communities and regions.
This display of devotion is quite telling, especially considering Biya’s advanced age and long tenure in office. The fact that the CPDM party is so focused on ensuring his re-election, rather than grooming new leadership or addressing the country’s pressing issues, raises concerns about the state of democracy in Cameroon.
As one article pointed out, the CPDM party’s celebrations seemed more like a commemoration of “four decades of stagnation, repression, and broken promises” rather than a genuine celebration of progress. With the October presidential elections looming, it’s clear that Biya’s re-election is all but guaranteed – but at what cost to the country’s future?
It’s worth noting that Biya’s advanced age of 92 and his 42-year tenure as president have raised questions about his ability to continue leading the country. Despite the uncertainty surrounding Biya’s future, one thing is clear: those who benefit from his being there are not ready to let go of him, even if he had any intention of taking a deserved rest. As anxiety charges to a degree with increasing dissenting voices now even coming from within the young leadership of the party calling for a Congress to designate fresh leadership for the party (in respect of the basic texts of the CPDM), it is now clear it wouldn’t be business as usual this 2025.
The calls from Bamenda, Nkambe and other sections for Biya to launch campaigns in their zones comes despite the well-advertised call from the South West Chiefs that recently urged him to launch his Presidential election campaigns in their region. Reasons do not come in short supply for the calls. Yet, and knowing the person Paul Biya, and despite the loudness of the volume, he may as well doze off like the girls in the Muteff case. There’s enough historical evidence to this assertion.
As the CPDM sections continue to vie for Biya’s attention in much the same way suitors would for their beloved, a complex web of political dynamics lie beneath the surface of the displayed loyalty. The CPDM’s statutes require the party to hold a congress every five years, but this hasn’t happened since 2011. This oversight has led to Biya’s mandate expiring, leaving the party in a legal crisis.
Leon Theiller Onana, a spirited and level-headed CPDM Councilor from Monatele, an area where President Paul Biya has traditionally launched his reelection campaigns, is urging CPDM youths and other well-meaning Cameroonians to make their voices heard in the upcoming presidential election. Onana has taken concrete action by initiating legal proceedings against Biya’s allegedly illegal tenure as CPDM Chairman, seeking a court-appointed ad hoc committee to convene an elective congress for fresh party leadership capable of genuinely winning the upcoming Presidential election.Onana asserts that the current CPDM leadership, including the politburo, is illegitimate. He calls on youths, women, men, and other like-minded Cameroonians to stand up and defend the party’s original ideology, which has been neglected by the leadership.
Onana emphasizes that the time has come for youths to move beyond being mere “suitcase carriers” and instead take action to revitalize the party according to its founding principles, established in Bamenda in 1985.
With this groundswell from within, it’s clear 2025 would be an intriguing year in Cameroon.
The Colbert Factor
