Joe Dinga Pefok (Uncle Joe)
But Despite The Argument By MRC Lawyers, Observers Say The Matter Will Not Be Easy For The Party. This Is Because The Decision By The Directorate of MRC To Hold The Convention By Videoconference, Came After The DO Of Yaounde 4 Banned The Convention, And The CPDM Regime Is Said To Consider What MRC Did, As Another Affront Or Show Of Force.
If the Extraordinary Elective Convention of the frontline opposition party, MRC, that reportedly held by videoconference on December 21, 2025 was just an ordinary party meeting, it wouldn’t have been a big problem to the party, as to whether the Ministry of Territorial Administration commonly known by the French acronym, MINAT, recognizes or validates the meeting or not. But the problem is that the meeting which MRC leadership and delegates to the party’s Convention, reportedly held by videoconference on December 21, 2025, was an Extraordinary Elective Convention. And so MRC had to update its file at MINAT, by sending the resolution of the Convention, or better still, the result of the election that held during the videoconferencing, to MINAT.
And this is where there is the fear that the Ministry of Territorial Administration, is very likely not to recognize the MRC Convention that held by videoconference, after the DO of Yaounde IV banned it. Some sources say MINAT considered the decision by the MRC Directorate, that the party’s convention hold by videoconference, after the DO of Yaounde IV prohibited it, as an affront, challenge, or show of force against the administration and government. In such a case, there is the fear that MINAT, and the CPDM regime, will very likely not recognize the result of the election that, held during the videoconferencing by delegates to the Extraordinary Elective Convention of MRC, on December 21, 2025. This means that MINAT is very likely not to recognize the return of Prof Maurice Kamto to the post of National President of MRC. If that happens, it will be a big problem for the MRC, especially with the legislative and municipal elections around the corner.
Former National President!
From the look of things, the Ministry of Territorial Administration, or better still, the CPDM regime, seems not to recognize Prof Maurice Kamto as the National President of MRC. This can be seen from a number of indications, one of which is the fact that many CPDM Communication Officers, and pro-regime commentators, continue to refer to Kamto as the former National President of MRC. However, it should be noted that since the contested Extraordinary Elective Convention of the MRC on December 21, 2025, there has so far been no official occasion where the National President of MRC, was supposed to meet or contact the administration, which would have permitted observers to actually know the official position of the administration or regime on this issue.
Questions About The Credibility Of The Convention
Meanwhile, there have also been lots of questions as to how effective or efficient it was, for MRC to hold the Extraordinary Elective Convention by videoconference, considering that technology (telecommunication) or digitalization is not yet not advanced in Cameroon. This has thus been raising some questions about the credibility of the election that, took place during the Extraordinary Elective Convention of the MRC that held by videoconference on December 21, 2025. It should be noted that MRC in the country and in the diaspora, is comprised of a total of 17 Regional Federations. MRC has not explained whether the delegates of the 17 Regional Federations to the Extraordinary Elective Convention, which reportedly held by videoconference, met in groups at the level of the Regional Federations, or how the delegates from all the 17 Regional Federations participated in the convention by videoconference.
What MRC Leadership And The Defence Lawyers Are Saying
MRC and its lawyers are strongly arguing in defense of the legality of the December 21, 2025 Extraordinary Elective Convention of the party, that they say held by videoconference, According to MRC and its lawyers, when the DO of Yaounde 1V banned the holding of the Extraordinary Convention of the party that was scheduled for November 29, 2025, the Directorate of the party met on December 2, 2025, and adopted a resolution (No. 5), that the party’s convention be held by videoconference. The MRC Directorate also modified Article 68 of the party’s Constitution, to authorize the modification of the format in which the party’s convention holds.
According to MRC and its lawyers, copies of the resolution for the modification of Article 68 of the party’s Constitution, which authorized the holding of the Extraordinary Convention of the party by video conference, were deposited at the Ministry of Territorial Administration in Yaounde, and the office of the Governor of the Centre Region, on December 3, 2025. That is, over two weeks before the holding of the Extraordinary Elective Conference by videoconference.
There was apparently no reaction by MINAT and the Governor of the Centre Region, when MRC deposited the document. That however did not mean that they accepted it.
Why MRC’s Case Looks Complicated
However, considering the context in which the Extraordinary Elective Convention of MRC held by videoconference on December 21, 2025, makes the case complicated. This is considering the fact that MRC’s Directorate only decided to hold the Elective Convention of the party by video conference, after the DO of Yaounde IV prohibited the holding of the Convention at the party’s headquarters in Yaounde, on the pretext that the event posed a threat to public order. This followed a complaint that was filed against the planned Extraordinary Elective Convention, by a ‘Founding Member’ of MRC, Dr Okala Ebode Joseph Thierry.
It should rather be said that the petition was either the real reason, or the pretext, that the administration used, to prohibit the holding of the MRC Convention. So many political observers fear that the Ministry of Territorial Administration, or better still, the Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, being what he is, will likely not recognize the December 21,2025 Extraordinary Convention of MRC, which held by videoconference. It is even difficult to believe that the DO of Yaounde IV on his own, or unilaterally, took the decision to ban the holding of the convention of a major opposition party in the country like the MRC, without consulting hierarchy. It is possible that the DO of Yaounde IV in realty, was instructed by hierarchy or MINAT to ban the convention, and that he simply executed instruction from hierarchy.
Relationship Between CPDM Regime And MRC, Has So Much Strained
It should be noted that the relationship between the CPDM regime and the leadership of MANIDEM, especially the National President, Prof Maurice Kamto, has been really bad or strained, since the 2018 presidential election, when Kamto claimed his victory was stolen, and even took the matter against the CPDM regime, to the African Union. The CPDM regime was the more furious with Kamto, when he announced the boycott by his party, of the 2020 legislative and municipal elections. It was definitely for these reasons, that the CPDM regime did everything for the candidacy of Maurice Kamto, for the 2025 presidential election, to be rejected by the Constitutional Council.
Within this backdrop, political observers fear, as aforementioned, that the Ministry of Territorial Administration, may very likely consider the decision by the MRC leadership to hold the Extraordinary Elective Convention of the party by video conference, after the DO of Yaounde IV banded it, as affront or a show of force against the ministry and the CPDM regime. There is the fear thus. that the MINAT is likely not going to validate the outcome of the December 21, 2025 Extraordinary Elective Convention of the MRC, that reportedly held by video conference. Refusing the validate or accept the December 21, 2025 convention of MRC, will mean not validating the result of the election that took place during the videoconferencing, which means not recognizing Prof Maurice Kamto as the National President of MRC, with all the consequences or effects.
A Likely Standoff Between MINAT And MRC
It is very likely that there will be a standoff between MINAT and MRC, over this matter. And that is definitely one of the main reasons why the MRC leadership is taking very seriously, the case filed by Willy Mengue and two others, at the Yaounde –Ekounou Court. Mengue and his fellow comrades, claim that the holding of the December 21, 2025 Extraordinary Elective Convention by videoconference, was irregular or illegal. For one thing, if the court were to rightly or wrongly rule, that the holding of the Extraordinary Elective Convention on December 21, 2025 by videoconference was irregular or illegal, there is doubt that MINAT or the CPDM regime, will use the court ruling against Maurice Kamto and MRC, especially with Paul Atanga Nji as the MINAT Boss.
,
