Ofure Akhigbe
Cameroon’s Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, has dismissed opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary’s claim of victory in the October 12 presidential election, accusing him of attempting to undermine the electoral process.
“This crooked candidate is attempting to implement a cleverly planned diabolical plan with his occult networks at home and abroad aimed at setting Cameroon ablaze,” Atanga Nji said in a statement on Tuesday.
The minister reiterated that only the Constitutional Council is authorized to announce the official results, warning last week that any unauthorized declaration of victory would be considered an act of “high treason.”
Tchiroma, 78, had earlier on Tuesday declared himself winner of the poll and urged long-serving President Paul Biya to concede defeat. The opposition leader, who previously served as government spokesperson and minister of employment under Biya, resigned from the cabinet last year to contest the presidency. His campaign attracted large crowds and support from a coalition of opposition parties and civic groups.
President Biya, 92, has ruled Cameroon since 1982, making him the country’s second president since independence from France in 1960.
Under Cameroon’s Electoral Code, the Constitutional Council is required to proclaim the official results within 15 days after the close of the vote.