Joe Dinga Pefok (Uncle Joe)
After The Douala Court Punctured A Plot To Sideline Late Ekane’s Children In The Organization Of His Funeral, The MANIDEM Party In Its Frustration, Launched A Smear Campaign Against The Eldest Son, Dr Muna Ekane. Late Ekane’s Wife, Also Blundered To Think That, A Woman In Bantu Society, Can Sideline The Legitimate Children Of Her Late Husband, In The Organization Of His Funeral.
Late Anicet Ekane’s Children Address Correspondences To MANIDEM
Two days after the tragic death in Gendarmerie custody in Yaounde on Dcember 1, 2025, of the prominent opposition figure and National President of the MANIDEM Party, Anicet Georges Ekane, his children addressed a correspondence to the MANIDEM Party, precisely to the Vice President, Valentin Dogmo Fils. In the correspondence, they among other things expressed the hope that the party and the Ekane family, including the widow, and of course them, would be able to work together to ensure that their late father was given the befitting burial that he deserves. The correspondence was signed on behalf of the children, by Dr Muna Ekane, the eldest son or child of the late Anicet Ekane, who is a medical doctor based in France. Dr Muna Ekane, told STV that embarrassingly enough, MANIDEM did not respond to their correspondence, or even just acknowledged receipt. This was already a signal to late Ekane’s children that the current MANIDEM leadership headed by the Vice President, was not willing to collaborate with them.
Anicet Ekane Had Big Children
It is worth noting that the mother of Dr Muna Ekane, was Anicet Ekane’s first wife. Anicet Ekane and his first wife later divorced. He had two children with her. Anicet Ekane had two other children with another woman, before later getting married to Jeanne Edwige Sogue, with whom he lived until his death. The first four children had all since grown up, and some have become parents themselves. Dr Muna Ekane is based in France, and one of his brothers is based in the United States. It should be noted as well that all the four elder children of Anicet Ekane, have reportedly all along been united in spirit and action.
As a medical doctor, Muna Ekane, though based in France, became like the father’s doctor or medical adviser, especially in the last two years when Anicet Ekane had some serious problems with his health. Dr Muna Ekane, was always in close contact with any medical doctor back in Cameroon, that had to attend to his father, and as colleagues, there were even certain things that the doctors would tell him to better explain to his father. The Mentor News is bringing up this close relationship that Dr Muna had with his father, Anicet Ekane, because that close relationship did not go down well with everybody in the family, as well as in MANIDEM. This was the root cause of the scandalous conflict that emerged over the organization of the funeral of Anicet Ekane between the current MANIDEM leadership and the Widow (Jeanne Edwige Ekane nee Sogue) on the one hand, and the elder children of late Ekane, on the other hand.
MANIDEM, And Ekane’s Widow, Did The Funeral Programme, Without Involving The Children
The corpse of late Anicet Ekane was moved from the mortuary of the Yaounde Central Hospital and transported to Douala on March 3, 2026. On its arrival in Douala, the corpse was put at the mortuary of the Laquintinie Hospital (Littoral Regional Hospital), and signed by the widow, Jeanne Edwige Ekane nee Sogue. It should be noted that MANIDEM and the widow were at the forefront of the organization of the transportation of the corpse of late Anicet Ekane from Yaounde to Douala, though it is not clear as to who provided the funds, as different things are being said by different people.
Meanwhile, the children of Late Anicet Ekane were pushed to the background in the transportation of their late father’s corpse from Yaounde to Douala. They however did not openly complain. But the children of late Anicet Ekane led by Dr Muna Ekane, who had all been demanding that the family and MANIDEM Party sit down, and workout an agreed funeral programme, were shocked when they saw what was said to be the funeral programme of their late father, on the social media. The funeral programme was scheduled to run on Friday, April 24, and Saturday, April 25, 2026. It was stated in the communiqué that details of the funeral programme would be made known later. According to the communiqué, the funeral programme was fixed by the Ekane Mbongo Family at Bomono – Gare , Bonanguem, in a common accord with the widow of Late Anicet Ekane, that is, Jeanne Edwige Ekane nee Sogue, and the MANIDEM Party. The leadership of the small MANIDEM Party immediately launched a public fundraising operation, for the funeral of the party’s late National President, and hero in the fight for democracy in Cameroon. Some telephone numbers circulated on the social media, as recipients or collectors of the funds.
But The Funeral Programme Was In Reality Done By MANIDEM Leadership And The Widow
It soon turned out that the funeral programme was actually fixed by MANIDEM leadership and late Ekane’s widow, with the complicity of a member of the Ekane Mbongo family, who is also a senior member of MANIDEM. The programme in reality was not fixed by the Ekane Mbongo family. As is normally done in African families or in the Bantu land, the Ekane Mbongo family was rather waiting on the late Anicet Ekane’s children and widow, to propose a programme to the family. In line with spirit of the Bantu tradition, there was no way the Ekane Mbongo family would have adopted a funeral programme, which did not involve the children of the decease, especially when a number of them are adults.
More so, Late Anicet Ekane’s children found it inappropriate and inadmissible, that the MANIDEM leadership jumped into launching a public fund raising for their father’s funeral, without finding out their opinion on the issue. The children, some of whom have good jobs in France, the United States and so on, found it insulting and humiliating for them, that there should to be a public fund raising for their father’s funeral. So MANIDEM which over the years has remained a small party, and has no money, was fighting to take over the organization of their late President’s funeral, to depend on public fund raising!
Conflict Over Funeral Programme Goes To Court
It was within this backdrop of having been sidelined or ignored in fixing the funeral programme of their late father, that the children of late Anicet Ekane, led by the eldest, Dr Muna Ekane, resolved to go to court to seek redress. They filed a case at the Court of First Instance (Magistrate Court) at Bonanjo, Douala. The widow (Jeanne Edwige Ekane nee Sogue) and the MANIDEM Party, were summoned to court in the matter. In court, the leadership of MANIDEM presented an audio which they claimed was the “Last Will” of Anicet Ekane before his death, in which he allegedly said that the party should organize his funeral. The alleged ‘Last Will” of Anicet Ekane, was said to had been recorded a day before his death. But Anicet Ekane’s children had a different Will, as concerns the organization of their late father’s funeral. Anicet Ekane in the Will said when he died, his funeral should be organized by a committee, comprised of family members that would include his children, the widow, a number of other family members, and three members of MANIDEM, one of whom was the Vice President of the party, Valentin Dogmo Fils. Suffice to say the Court of First Instance at Bonanjo, Douala, on April 13, 2026, ruled that the children of Anicet Ekane led by Dr Muna Ekane, should take charge of the organization of their late father’s funeral. The court also instructed the Laquintinie Hospital, in whose mortuary the corpse of Anicet Ekane was kept, that the corpse be signed out by no other person, than Muna Ekane.
There is no doubt that the court’s decision to give the children of late Anicet Ekane the right to organize their late father’s funeral, instead of the widow, was found controversial by some people. Normally, the widow and the children of late Anicet Ekane, were supposed to work together to give their departed husband and father, a befitting burial. But from what earlier happened when the widow and the MANIDEM Party, sidelined the legitimate children in fixing the programme of the funeral, and also considering the declarations that were made in court, the court apparently realized that the widow was not willing to collaborate with her late husband’s children, in the organization of his funeral. On the other hand, the children had repeatedly said that despite the little differences that come up at times, they recognized the lady as their father’s wife (now widow), and so were after his death very willing to work together with her, for their father’s funeral. As for MANIDEM, the court could not understand how a political party would want to sideline the legitimate children of its late leader, to handle his funeral, together with a widow, who also is a senior member of the party..
MANIDEM Embarked On Campaign Of Sabotage
The MANIDEM leadership was furious with the court decision, that it was the right of the children of late Anicet Ekane, to be involved in the organization of his funeral, or to organize the funeral themselves. MANIDEM leadership insisted that the alleged “last Will” of Ekane as contained in the audio that they had, was that MANIDEM should be the one to organize the funeral. The party said the purported Will was being violated.
The MANIDEM leadership went to extent of trying to sabotage the funeral of the late Founding President of the party, because the programme was fixed by the children. MANIDEM launched a smear campaign targeting Anicet Ekane’s eldest son, Dr Muna Ekane. In a communiqué that was signed by the Vice President of MANIDEM, it was said that: “Les Bourreaux D’ANICET Et Leurs Sous – Traitants Veulent L’Enterrer Dans L’Anonymat”, meaning that those who killed Anicet, and their agents, want him to be buried unnoticed. MANIDEM even went to the extent of falsely declaring that the funeral of Anicet Ekane that was scheduled for May 6 – 9, 2026 by the children, was being organized by the CPDM, and called on other opposition parties and the population to stay away.
Besides all those false allegations that were directly made by MANIDEM leadership, a number of controversial articles also appeared on the social media on the funeral programme issue. Many people of course suspected MANIDEM of being behind those articles. It was alleged that Dr Muna Ekane who among other things was his father’s medical adviser, was never close to the father, and that they never even used to see eye –to –eye. Dr Muna Ekane was accused to have taken money from the CPDM regime, to violate the purported ‘Last Will’ of Late Anicet Ekane, by ensuring that MANIDEM which Ekane allegedly wanted should be the one to organize his funeral, was pushed away, for the funeral to be instead organized under the directive of the CPDM regime. They said the purported objective of the regime, was to deprive Anicet Ekane, that, the regime allegedly killed, of a hero’s burial. The smear campaigners also claimed that a deal had been struck between the CPDM regime and Dr Muna Ekane, that the latter would be appointed into the new Government that is been expected, as Secretary of State in the Ministry of Public Health.
Even Muna Ekane’s mother was not spared. She was accused to be the one allegedly instigating the children not to respect their late father’s will. She was accused to have received big sums of money from the CPDM for that, and that she was dreaming that her son would soon be a member of government.
Anicet Ekane Designated His Son, Dr Muna Ekane, To Represent Him In Union For Change
The political platform, Union For Change 2025, that on September 13, 2025 declared the FSNC National President and presidential candidate, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, as the group’s candidate for the October 12, 2025 presidential election, was led by two veteran politicians, Anicet Ekane and Djeukam Tchameni. The releases of Union For Change were signed by Anicet Ekane. When Anicet Ekane and Djeukam Tchameni were both arrested on October 24, 2025 in Douala and whisked off to Yaounde for detention, Ekane informed the Union For Change, that his son, Dr Muna Ekane, would henceforth represent him in the group. Members of Union For Change took note of the decision of their incarcerated leader, Anicet Ekane, and henceforth, it was Dr Muna Ekane that was signing the releases of Union For Change. It should be noted that the regime never officially ban Union For Change, even after the arrest of its two leaders on October 24, 2025.
Meanwhile, as would be expected, Anicet Ekane’s decision to designate his son, Muna, instead of the Vice President of MANIDEM, or even his wife (a senior member of MANIDEM), to replace him in Union For Change, did not go down well with some people. For one thing, Anicet Ekane’s designation of Muna to represent him in Union For Change, was seen by many people as Ekane’s designation of his son, Muna, as his successor in politics. That was unacceptable to some people. This is the real reason or the background, to the bitter conflict that erupted between the MANIDEM leadership and Late Anicet Ekane’s wife on the one hand, and the elder children of Anicet Ekane, especially Dr Muna Ekane, on the other hand, over the organization of the funeral of late Anicet Ekane. There were glaring attempts and intrigues by the MANIDEM leadership, and the widow, who is also a senior member of MANIDEM, to sideline the legitimate children of Anicet Ekane, particularly the eldest son, Muna, from the organization of their late father’s funeral, apparently also as a strategy to eclipsed him.
Rebecca Enonchong Makes Bold To Tell MANIDEM What Others Were Scared To Say
One of Cameroon’s prominent business lady, Rebecca Enonchong, who was also deeply involved in the last presidential election in Cameroon, as the Ambassador of Union For Change 2025, in a social media post on the bitter conflict over the funeral of late Anicet Ekane, said she initially never wanted to get involve in in the controversy. But she explained that she was forced to talk on the issue, seeing the bad faith of certain actors in the controversy, that is, those that were sowing seeds of division, and were trying to exploit the situation to justify their call for a boycott of the funeral.
Rebecca Enonchong, declared that: “Jai bien connu Anicet. J’ai travaille avec lui au sein de la Union pour le Changement 2025.Je connais aussi Muna Ekane, son fils aine. Et la facon dont je le comais, a son importance ici. Je suis Ambassadrice pour l’Union pour le Changement 2025. Apres son arrestation le 24 Octobre 2025, Anicet a personnelement designe Muna pour le representer parmi nous. Du vivant de son pere, et avec son approbation, c’est bien Muna Ekane qui signait deja nos communiqués”. This is roughly translated as: “I knew Anicet well. I worked with him in Union For Change 2025. I also know Muna Ekane, his eldest son. And the way I know him, needs to made known here. I am the Ambassador of Union for Change 2025. After his arrest on 24th October 2025, Anicet personally designated Muna to represent him among us. When his father was still living, and with his total approval, it was Muna Ekane that was signing our communiqués”.
She said during the time they have been with Muna Ekane in Union For Change, they have all come to know him as an upcoming strong political force like his late father. A man (Muna Ekane) who does not waver in his political fight. She observed that: “Son engagement pour ce movement, na jamais vacillie”, that is, “His engagement for this movement has never vacillated”.
Rebecca Enonchong questioned why the story been viciously propagated by some people, was that since it was Muna Ekane organizing the father’s funeral, it was the regime organizing it. She also said from what she knew, nobody had been excluded either from the organization of the funeral, or from the funeral itself. She explained that one person was designated to take responsibility for the organization of the funeral, but that the door was never closed to anybody in the biological family of Anicet Ekane or in the political family.
Rebecca Enonchong hit the nail on the head:“Je sais qu’en politique tous les coups sont permis. Mais utilizer le deuil d’un home pour tenter d’eliminer son fils comme future adversaire politique, c’est le plus bar niveux qu’on puisse atteindre”. Approximate translation: “I know that in politics all types of punches are permitted. But to use the death of a man to try to eliminate his son seen as a future political opponent, is, the lowest level that one can decent”. It was clear here that to Rebecca Enonchong, like to many people, the conflict over the funeral programme of Anicet Ekane, was an attempt by the MANIDEM leadership, together with the widow, to sidelined or eclipsed Dr Muna Ekane, whom they see as a future opponent or challenger for the leadership of MANIDEM, especially following the decision that Anicet Ekane, took after his arrest, that Muna should be the one to represent him in Union For Change.
