Leader Of UPC Faction, BALENGUEL NKOT, Discloses Why His Group Decided To Support AKERE MUNA’S Candidacy For 2025 Presidential Election

Explains that the first reason why they chose AKERE MUNA, is that his father, S.T.MUNA, was at the forefront of the fight for the reunification of Cameroon

But a UPC elite and presidential aspirant, Prof Jean BAHEBECK, had on his part said that AKERE MUNA is supposed to be with PAUL BIYA and his CPDM Party

BAHEBECK said AKERE’s father was a close ally of AHIDJO and later BIYA, and that AKERE and his siblings have continued to benefit from their late father’s connections and the wealth

In a live programme over IINFO Tv in Yaounde in the evening of Monday, April 15, 2025, Dr Balenguel Nkot Pierre, the leader of  the UPC faction that supports Akere  Muna’s candidacy for the 2025 presidential election, was asked why his  faction decided to choose Akere and not someone else, to support in the 2025 presidential election.

Dr Balenguel Nkot first recalled that one of the principal goals of the UPC in the 1950’s was to fight for the reunification of Cameroon. He stated that the father of Barrister Akere Muna, that is, Hon Solonmon Tandeng Muna, was at the forefront for the fight for the reunification of Cameroon. He noted that that the struggle succeeded in 1961 with the reunification of Cameroon.Balenguel told the journalist who was moderator of the Tv  programme, that if not for politicians like S.T. Muna, “our Anglophone brothers would have today been in Nigeria”

Besides that, Dr Balenguel Nkot said another thing that influenced their decision to support Akere Muna’s candidacy, was that Muna has for a longtime been highly committed in the fight against corruption and embezzlement of public funds, as an anti- corruption crusader.  He noted that corruption, and embezzlement of public funds, have since become a canker worm in Cameroon.  Balenguel said Cameroon needs somebody like Akere Muna, to be able to bring the much needed genuine change that the country so badly needs.

Meanwhile, there is no question that the children of Hon Solomon Tandeng Muna benefits much from their late father’s name and connections, as well as from the several  things he left behind. When they benefit from their father’s past, it is fine for them, they are happy to identify with their father’s past.  But when Anglophones cry out that S.T, Muna betrayed the Anglophones, and that his children cannot be trusted because like father like son, it becomes it a problem, as they struggle to disassociate themselves then with their father’s past.

Prof Jean Behebeck  On Akere Muna

Meanwhile there had been fears that the declaration of support for the candidacy of Akere Muna for the 2025 presidential election, by Dr Balenguel Nkot and his UPC faction or sub – faction, will drag Muna into the dirty and protracted UPC Crisis. Members of the Kodock faction of the UPC, that do not agree with the decision by Balenguel Nkot and his men to support the candidature of Akere Muna, have been throwing jabs at Muna.

Prominent UPC elite from Nyong and Kellle Division, Prof Jean BAHEBECK, for example, said over Vision 4 Tv in Yaounde last year when Belenguel Nkot declared support for Akere Muna at the 2025 presidential election, that Akere Muna is not, and cannot be a genuine opposition. He recalled that Solomon Tendeng Muna, that is, the father of Akere Muna, was a longtime close and loyal collaborator of both President Amadou Ahidjo and President Biya; first with President Ahidjo, and later with President Paul Biya when he took over power. He said S.T Muna reaped huge financial and material benefits, which Akere and his siblings have been enjoying till date. Bahebeck opined that the right thing for Akere Muna to do is to go and meet President Biya and his CPDM, and leave the Cameroon opposition alone.