BITS AND PIECES ON THE OCTOBER 12, 2025 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN CAMEROON (Monday, September 29, 2025)

 8 Items Including: Momentum Builds Around The Candidacy Of BELLO BOUBA With The Support Of Two Anglophone Candidates, ATEKI SETA CAXTON And AKERE MUNA – CPDM Minister Tells Chiefs Of West Region To Shut Their Doors To Opposition, But Accompany CPDM – PCRN MP Congratulates MAURICE KAMTO For Not Endorsing Either Endorsing BELLO BOUBA Or TCHIROMA  –  Membership Of The CPDM Gov’t Is All About  Eating,  And Not Service –  Marathon Race For Hon  JOSHUA OSIH And  His National Campaign Team  –  BILL TCHATO, BELL JOSEPH ANTOINE And OMAM BIYICK, Wants To Drag ALIFOOT To Campaign For  PAUL BIYA, For Selfish Interests.

The Mentor News Will From Today, Sept. 29, Come Up With A Daily Publication Of  Bits And Pieces On the October 12, 2025 Presidential Election, Until The  Official Publication Of The Results

Momentum Builds Around Bello Bouba’s Candidacy – Ateki Seta Caxton, Withdraws Candidacy In Favour of Bello Bouba 

Momentum is building around the candidacy of Bello Bouba Maigari, the UNDP’s National President and candidate for the October 12, 2025 presidential election, which is barely two weeks ago.  During the start of the official campaign on Saturday, September 27, 2025, one of the 11 opposition candidates for the October 12 presidential election, Ateki Seta Caxton, the candidate of Celestin Bedzigui’s PAL, announced that he had decided to withdraw his candidacy from the presidential race, to support Bello Bouba. This announcement was made at the UNDP’s official campaign launch, which took place at the party’s headquarters in the nation’s capital Yaounde. Ateki Seta Carton, who hails from Momo Division in the Northwest Region, said his decision to withdraw in favour of Bello Bouba, was in response to the call of the Cameroonian people, that the 11 presidential candidates from the opposition, should settle for a consensus candidate, who should be somebody that stands a better chance to beat CPDM’s incumbent candidate, Paul Biya. In his reaction, a visibly elated Bello Bouba Maigari, noted that Ateki’s name starts with the letter, A., which is the first letter in the alphabet. To Bello, this was an indication that Ateki was the first or the beginning of more good news to come, before the October 12 polls. He was by this expressing the hope that more presidential candidates would withdraw their candidacies and come on board the UNDP campaign caravan, to support his candidacy.

Meanwhile if Ateki’s decision to support Bello Bouba’s candidacy  was not known by many before that September 27, it was already known a week earlier that he was to withdraw his candidacy from the presidential election, in faviour of another candidate. The National President of PAL, Celestin Bedzigui, had in a bilingual communiqué, informed the public that the party had validated the decision that its presidential candidate, Ateki Seta Caxton, should withdraw from the presidential election in favour of another candidate, as part of efforts to build a strong coalition around an opposition candidate that will beat the CPDM candidate, at the October 12 poll.  Bedzigui had even disclosed that Ateki was going to announce his choice of the candidate he would support, before the start of the official campaign for the presidential election on September 27. It should be noted that Ateki met Bello Bouba in Yaounde before that September 27, and the two discussed and arrived at an agreement, before he came public to announce his withdrawal in favour of Bello Bouba.

Minister Tells Chiefs Of The West Region Not To Open Their Doors To The Opposition, But Should Accompany The Ruling CPDM Party

A CPDM bigwig and Section President in the West Region, Celestine Keutcha Courtes, Minister of Housing and Urban Development, has called on traditional rulers of the region not to open their doors or the gates of their palaces to the opposition, but that they should at the same time accompany the militants of the ruling CPDM, for the October 12, 2025 presidential election. Madam Courtes was speaking during the official launch of the CPDM campaign in the West Regions for the October 12 presidential election, which took place in Bafoussam, the regional headquarters, on Saturday, September 27, 2025.  It is sickening that instead of advising traditional rulers to be neutral or non – partisan in politics since they are supposed to be fathers to all their subjects who belong to different political parties, the CPDM bigwig, Celestine Keutcha Courtes, instead told traditional rulers to shut the gates of the palaces to the opposition, and at the same time, accompany CPDM militants for the presidential election.

Meanwhile, Celestine Courtes said she has observed in the last few weeks, that some people from outside the West Region, that for years had not come to the West Region to visit any chief, or just to visit the region, have now been pouring into the region to visit a chief, because they are candidates in the presidential election, and are seeking for votes. She was certainly referring to the UNDP leader and presidential candidate, Bello Bouba Maigari, and the FSNC leader and presidential candidate, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, both former members of Government. Issa Tchiroma was on a pre–campaign visit to the West Region on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, during which he paid a courtesy on the Paramount Chief of Bamendjou, HRM Sokoudjou Jean Philippe Rameau. Bello Bouba, who also in the West Region for the same purpose of pre- campaign meeting, also, visited the Paramount Chief of Bamendjou. It is no secret that the HRM Sokoiudjou has for a number of years now daringly taken a strong stand against the Biya regime.

Akere Muna Joins UNDP Campaign Caravan to Support Bello Bouba’s Candidacy, A Day After He Launched His Official Campaign

In the 2018 presidential election, the leader of the civil society group, NOW, Barrister Akere Tabeng Muna, former President of the Cameroon Bar Council, who was in his first participation as candidate in a presidential election, withdrew barely three days to the election day which was Sunday, October 7 (2018), in favour of the candidacy of Prof Maurice Kamto, MRC’s leader and presidential candidate. Akere Muna went in for the 2018 presidential election, on the ticket of FPD Party, but left politics after the 2018 presidential election to focus on his civil society work, especially the fight against corruption. He returned to politics last year, with the hope of being the single candidate of the opposition, or at least the consensus candidate of a strong opposition group. Barrister Akere Muna’s political ambition was the creation of a transitional government by the opposition, with him as President. This was assuming that the opposition would win the 2025 presidential election.  Muna promised that the transitional government to last for four or five years, would, carry out important reforms like a revision of the Constitution and the Electoral Code, among others. At the end, a free, fair and transparent presidential election was to be organized to get a democratically elected President of the Republic, to whom the President of the Transitional Government would hand over power, and return to his home, as Muna put it.

Barrister Akere Muna went in as candidate for the October 12, 2025 presidential election on the ticket of Prof Nkou Mvondo’s UNIVERS Party.  But unfortunately for him, despised all the efforts and money he put in, he could not succeed in his dream to be endorsed by the opposition as the single opposition candidate, or as a consensus candidate of a strong opposition coalition, for the political project to set up a transitional government with him as President. Akere Muna officially launched his campaign for the October 12, 2025 presidential election in Tiko, Southwest Region, on Saturday, September 27. Then on Sunday, September 28, Barrister Akere Muna appeared at a UNDP campaign rally, which was chaired by the party’s leader and presidential candidate, Bello Bouba Maigari, in the nation’s economic capital, Douala.  To r the pleasant surprise of many UNDP militants, Akere Muna announced his decision to withdraw from the presidential election, in support of the candidacy of Bello Bouba. It should be noted that before that September 28, news was already circulating that Muna had reached an agreement with Bello Bouba, and would withdraw his candidacy to support Bello. What came as a surprise was that it happened just a day after Muna launched his campaign in Tiko. It should however be noted that there was criticism against Muna at the 2018 presidential election, that he withdrew too late to support Kamto’s candidacy, and on the voting day some of his supporters did not yet know that he withdrawn, and cast their ballots for him. In fact the official results of the 2018 presidential election, showed that  Akere Muna had 12, 262 votes (Twelve thousands, two hundred and sixty two  votes), which was a score of 0.35 %, even though he had announced the withdrawal  of his candidacy, to support Kamto.

PCRN MP Salutes Kamto’s Decision Not To Endorse Either Bello Bouba, Or Tchiroma

An MP of Hon Cabral Libii Ngue’s PCRN, Hon Nourane Molouh Hassana epse Fotsing of the Wouri East Constituency (Douala III and V), and who is an active participant on the social media where she signs as Nourane Forster, has saluted the decision that was made by the real leader of MRC, Prof Maurice Kamto, on Friday, September 26, 2025, when he refused to endorse one of the two presidential candidates of the Grand North, Bello Bouba and Issa Tchiroma. Rather, Kamto in an address said his supporters should individually make their choices of the candidates to vote for.  This is apparently the first time that Hon Nourane Fotsing, who frequently engages in fights with MRC militants on the social media, has congratulated the MRC leader, Maurice Kamto, for something.  The reason Maurice Kamto gave for not endorsing either Tchiroma or Bello, was that the two party leaders and president candidates, had so far failed to come to an agreement, for one of them to withdraw from the presidential election race to support the other. As Kanto said, the failure of Bello Bouba and Issa Tchiroma to unite, will divide the opposition votes in the Grand North, to the advantage of the ruling CPDM. Meanwhile as it is often said, politics is in a game of interest. The PCRN Parliamentarian, Nourane Fotsing, has her own different reason for congratulating Kamto.  She is happy that Kamto has not called on his supporters to vote for either Issa  Tchiroma or Bello Bouba, who like other militants of PCRN, see Bello and Tchiroma who were members of the Biya regime for many years, as a continuation of the Biya regime. She says Tchiroma or Bello Bouba becoming President of the Republic will mean 7 more years for the Biya regime, or better still, that it will mean enabling the Biya regime which is today 43 years in power, to get to 50 years or half a century in power. “Why opt for a devil, when we have other candidates to whom we can give that opportunity to lead us?” Nourane Fotsing questions. The devil she is referring to, is, definitely Issa Tchiroma and Bello Bouba. Terrible!

  Bill Tchato, Bell Joseph Antoine And Omam Biyick, Wants To Drag ALIFOOT To The CPDM  

Three former players of the senior national football team (indomitable Lions), Bill Tchato, Bell Joseph Antoine, and Omam Biyick, are scheming to drag the association of former players of the Indomitable  Lions commonly known by the French acronym, ALIFOOT (‘Association  des Anciens Lions Indomitable de Football’), into the  campaign caravan of the ruling CPDM, for  the October 12, 2025 presidential election.  In a communiqué issued in Yaounde on September 26, 2025, ALIFOOT informed national and international public opinion, of its “availability to accompany His Excellency Paul Biya, President of the Republic of Cameroon, in the presidential election campaign, underway”. The communiqué says accompanying President Biya in the campaign, will enable ALIFOOT to among other things, be able to defend or protect the interest of members, promote the image and heritage of the Indomitable Lions, support solidarity and the conversion of old players,  and transmit to  the young generation of players the value of Cameroon football. “Faithful to the spirit of combativeness and patriotism of the Indomitable Lions, ALIFOOT expresses its gratitude to the Head of State for his constant engagement in favour of sports and football in particular, and to hold tightly to that spirit, for the success of the campaign”, an approximate translation of an excerpt of that  communiqué, reads. The release is signed by three persons – Bill Tchato as President of ALIFOOT. Bell Joseph Antoine as Vice President of ALIFOOT, and Francois Omam Biyick as Honourary Member of ALIFOOT.

Marathon Race For Hon Osih And His National Campaign Team

The national campaign Itinerary of Hon Joshua Osih, the SDF leader and candidate for the October 12, 2025 presidential election, is a real marathon race for him and his national  campaign team headed by the Campaign Manager, Dr Louis – Marie Kakdeu, a renowned  economist and  2^nd Vice National Chairman of the SDF. It would be recalled that Hon Osih launched his official campaign in Bamenda, the birth place of the SDF, on Saturday, September 27, 2025. On Sunday, he was in Kumba, which is one of his adopted home, for a grand campaign rally. According to the national campaign itinerary that was signed by the Campaign Manager on Friday, September 26, 2025 in Yaounde, Osih and the national campaign team are today, Monday, September 29, 2025, scheduled to make campaign stops in the Mungo Division of the Littoral Region, precisely in Souza, Mbanga and Nkongsamba, and then ends the day in Bafang, in the West Region. Loum where the SDF run a council is probably not included in today’s campaign stops, because Osih was in Loum as part of his pre-campaign tour of the country.

Meanwhile, the rest of the national campaign itinerary, of Hon Joshua Osih and his national campaign team, stand as follows: Tuesday,  September 30, 2025: Bamendjou – Penka Michel – Dschang – Batcham –  Mbouda – Bafoussam.  Wedneday, October 1, 2025: Foumban–  Foumbot – Bangante – Tonga – Makanene – Bafia – Sa’a – Obala.  Thursday, October 2, 2025: The journey to the Far North Region, precisely to Yagoua.  Friday, October 3, 2025: Yagoua – Touloum – Kaele – Mokolo. Saturday, October 4, 2025: Mora – Maroua. Sunday, October 5, 2025: Guider – Figuil – Pitoa – Garoua. Monday, October 6, 2025: Ngong – Lagdo – Mbe – Ngaoundere. Tuesday, October 7, 2025: Nyambaka – Meiganga – Garoua Boulai – Bertoua. Wednesday, October 8, 2025: Doume – Abongbang – Ayos – Akonolinga. Thursday, October 9, 2025: Mengueme – Ngoulemakong – Mengong – Ebolowa – Mbalmayo. Friday, October 10, 2025: Yaounde – Mboumnyebel – Pouma – Edea – Kribi. Saturday, October 11, 2025: Douala. Sunday, October 12, 2025:  Election Day.

The programme is very tight as can be seen; a real marathon race. One may even wonder whether it is humanly possible to cover some of daily itinerary. Take for example the case of Friday, October 10, 2025, when Osih and his national campaign team are scheduled to start with campaign in Yaounde, and make campaign stopovers in Mboumnyebel (Centre Region), then to Pouma and Edea in the Littoral Region, and end in Kribi in the South Region. Not easy at all. However Joshua Osih’s Campaign Manager, Louis –Marie Kakdeu, indicated at the bottom of the programme which he issued on Friday, September 26, that there will likely be adjustments to the programme as they go along.

Controversies And Questions About The ALIFOOT Communiqué

The communiqué that was signed by some members of ALIFOOT including Bell Joseph Antoine on September 26, 2025, stating that the association is available to accompany Paul Biya in the presidential election campaign, raises some controversies as well as a number of questions. Was this decision to accompany Paul Biya in the presidential election campaign, taken by a general assembly of ALIFOOT, or by the three persons who signed the communiqué? The communiqué gives the impression that ALIFOOT is the one begging to get onboard the CPDM campaign caravan. Such a thing has never happened before. Why does ALIFOOT want to get onboard the CPDM campaign caravan, when the association by its nature, is supposed to be apolitical? Also, the points stated in the communiqué as the reasons why ALIFOOT wants to join the CPDM campaign caravan, are very unconvincing and controversial.  How will campaigning for the incumbent candidate, Paul Biya,   for the October 12 presidential election, protect or defend the interest of ALFOOT, or promote solidarity and the conversion of old players? Also, ALIFOOT in the communiqué talks of its availability to accompany the President of the Republic, Paul Biya, in the campaign. Paul Biya is in the presidential election, as the candidate of the CPDM Party, and not as President of the Republic.  It should be noted that Bell Joseph Antoine is the Board Chair of the State owned National Sports Facilities and Equipment Board. Bell is also one of the Vice Presidents of the CPDM Sub –divisional campaign team in his native Ngambe Sub –division in the Sanaga Maritime Division, together with another former player of the Indomitable Lions, Samuel Eto’o Fils, President of FECAFOOT. Worthy of note that  as  regard  Francois Omam Biyick,  who was also one of the signatories of the controversial communiqué of ALIFOOT, he is a member of the technical staff of the Indomitable Lions, appointed by the Minister of Sports and Physical Education. Prof Mouelle Kombi. So these guys have their private interest to protect, and want to drag ALIFOOT into the CPDM caravan for the presidential election, for selfish reasons.

The CPDM Gov’t Is All About Eating. And Not Serving

It is ridiculous to hear the way CPDM militants attack UNDP’s Bello Bouba Maigari and FSNC’s Issa Tchiroma Bakary, following their resignation from the CPDM Government, and especially for the fact that they are candidates against incumbent Paul Biya, at the October 12, 2025 presidential election. All the CPDM people say is how Bello and Tchiroma were brought into the Government by President Biya, and that after eating for many years, they have betrayed Paul Biya by leaving the Government to go and run against him (their benefactor) in the October 12 presidential election. This is the reason why Cameroon has been so much ruined by the Biya regime, to the extent where it was declared a highly indebted poor country by the Breton Woods Institutions. To the CPDM, government is not about serving the people, but it is rather about chopping or eating.  In the attack which the CPDM bigwig and Minister of Housing and Urban Development Celestine Keutcha Coures,  launched against Bello Bouba and Issa Tchiroma Bakary in Bafoussam on September 27, during the official CPDM launch in the West Region, she talked  of how the two  personalities that  she did not call by name, are  ingrates and vicious persons. She said President Biya brought them to the table where they sat and ate with him for 40 years, and ended up breaking the plate by betraying the President.  Still on the issue of food, Celestine Courtes told chiefs of the West Region that they have much food in their palms, and that it will be very irrational for them to leave that food to fall off, while they instead try to lick particles of food behind their palms.