Joe Dinga Pefok (Uncle Joe)
Veteran Journalist / Politician, Henriette EKWE (Founding Member Of MANIDEM, Current President Of UPC Faction), Tells BINYAM She Doubts Whether The Base Of MRC, Can Accept A Non Bamileke As National President Of The Party. Herve Emmanuel NKOM Corroborated. But From The Look Of Things, The Next National President Of MRC Will Likely Be A Non Bami, And More So, A Woman.
At 6 pm on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, which was the final deadline that was fixed for candidates for elections to the post of National President of MRC, to replace Prof Maurice Kamto who resigned on September 8, 2026, a total of three lists had been received by the 1st Assistant Secretary General of the party, Noah Roger Justin, at the party headquarters at Odza in Yaounde. The three lists included that of: Tiraine Balbine Nadege Noah, 2nd Vice National President / Interim National President of MRC. Pierre Emmanuel Bniyam, 2nd Assistant Secretary General of MRC, Chairperson of a commission in the party, and a jurist by profession. Bris Ronnic Djolako, a trainer in a number of domains.
It should be noted that the election in MRC is by a list system. Each list contains eight names, comprised of the National President, five Vice National Presidents, a Secretary General, and the National Treasurer. Worth noting as well that the list which Bris Ronnic Djolako deposited at the MRC headquarters before deadline on Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at 6 pm, was incomplete, as the post of 5th Vice National President on his list was not yet filled. However the role of 1st Assistant Secretary General of MRC was simply to receive the lists. A commission will meet to examine the three lists, and the lists that the commission will validate, will be those that will participate in the election that will take during the Extraordinary Convention of the party, that has been scheduled to hold on October 17, 2026. So it will be for the commission to decide whether to give Djolako the opportunity to complete his list, or to reject the list.
A Very Short Time To Deposit Lists
In fact the time that the party gave for aspirants or candidates to deposit their lists for the October 17 party election, was really short. But it could be understood, because of time constraint facing the party, with the legislative and municipals being expected to called at any time by the President of the Republic. Normally, aspirants would have had at least a month to put together their lists. It is not surprising that the two personalities that succeeded to rapidly put together their complete lists, were the outgoing 2nd Vice President, Tiriane Balbine Nadege Noah, and the 2nd Deputy Secretary General and Chairman of a commission, Pierre Emmanuel Binyam, a jurist by profession.
Before the resignation of Maurice Kamto as National President of MRC on September 8, 2026, Madam Noak and Binyam that have for several years being among his close collaborators, from all indications knew well in advance that Kamto would resign, and started secret consultations to prepare their lists. On Sunday, September 13, 2026, Binyam disclosed in a TV programme that not only was his list already complete, but that his campaign team had already been set up. Of course he could not have done that in five or six days, especially in a big party.
BELOW ARE THE THREE LISTS THAT WERE DEPOSITED AT THE MRC HEADQUARTERS IN YAOUNDE, BEFORE THE DEADLINE ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2026 AT 6 PM:
List Headed By Pierre Emmanuel BINYAM, Assistant Secretary General of MRC, Chairman Of Commission, Jurist By Profession:
National President – Pierre Emmanuel BINYAM
1st Vice President – Jean Pierre BOUTCHE
2nd Vice President – Michel MBIDA NDONGO
3rd Vice President – Sarah Laure NDONGHO
4th Vice President – Paul KOUATTE ELOKAM
5th Vice President – Hawkins EJEBE EPIE
Secretary General – Celine KAMCHE WAPPI
National Treasurer – Patrick TEEKM DEMANOU
List Headed By Tiriane Belbine Nadege NOAH, 2nd Vice National President / Interim President of MRC
National President – Tiriane Belbine Nadege NOAH
1st Vice President – Emmanuel SIMH
2nd Vice President – Elie NGOMPE FOTSO
3rd Vice President – Ismael KAIGAMA
4th Vice President – Samuel SAME KOLLE
5TH Vice President – Aissatou SAADOU
Secretary General – Christopher MVEH NDONG
National Treasurer – Appolinaire Legrand OKO
List Headed By Bris Ronnic DJOLAKO – It should Be Noted That The List Is Incomplete (There is No 5th Vice President)
National President – Bris Ronnic DJOLAKO
1st Vice President – Janvier TEMESSE
2nd Vice President – Dorothee TINACK
3rd Vice President – Elias MBA
4th Vice President – Serge FONE
5th Vice President – (Vacant)
Secretary General – Francois AYISSI
National Treasurer – Rogers AKOUM
This Is Outgoing Team That Was Headed By Prof Maurice KAMTO, Who Resigned On September 8, 2026
National President – Maurice KAMTO
1st Vice President – Mamadou YACOUBA (Mota)
2nd Vice President – Tiriane Balbine Nadege NOAH
3rd Vice President – Emmanuel SIMH
4th Vice President – Ismael KAIGAMA
5th Vice President – Aissatou SAADOU
Secretary General – Christopher MVEH NDONG
National Treasurer – Appolinaire Legrand OKO
It should be noted that in the MRC Party, a Vice National President of the party is just commonly called Vice President, instead of Vice National President.
6 Of The 8 Members Of The Outgoing Team Are In The List Headed By Tiriane Balbine Nadege Noah – The List Of Continuity.
The List Of Loyalty And Continuity
Meanwhile, it is interesting to note that six of the eight members of the outgoing team that was headed by Maurice Kamto, are all in the list headed by Tiriane Balbine Nadege Noah, outgoing 2nd Vice National President of MRC. The six include: Tiriane Balbine Nadege Noah (outgoing Vice National President) who is the head of the list, and thus is gunning to become the National President of MRC, after the resignation of Kamto and Yacouba. There is the outgoing 3rd Vice National President, Barrister Emmanuel Simh, who moves up to the post of 1st Vice National President on Madam Noah’s list.
There is the outgoing 4th Vice National President, Ismael Kaigama, who moves up to 3rd Vice National President on Madam Noah’s list. There is the outgoing 5th Vice National President, Aissatou Saadou, who maintains the post in Madam Noah’s list. The outgoing Secretary General, Chief Barrister Christopher Mveh Ndong, and the outgoing National Treasurer, Appolinaire Legrand Oko, maintain their posts in Madam Noah’s list. In fact the only two personalities of the outgoing team that are absent from Madam Noah’s list, are Prof Maurice Kamto and Mamadou Yacouba (Mota), who on September 8 resigned from the posts of National President and 1st Vice National President of MRC respectively.
Which List Will Maurice Kamto Support
Since the resignation of Prof Maurice Kamto from the post of National President of MRC on September 8, to stay on in the party just as a militant, the question in many minds had been as to who he would support to succeed him as the new National President of the party. Though Kamto is very unlikely to publicly disclose the candidate he supports in the election in public, he is likely to do that behind the scene, or perhaps at the Extraordinary Convention itself. What also looks certain is that Kamto’s candidate will win the election, considering the large support he has in MRC, and the huge influence he pulls.
Meanwhile from all indications now, political observers are very likely to unanimously agree, that the list that Maurice Kamto supports, is the list of Madam Noah, a longtime loyalist. It is certain that these Kamto’s men in the outgoing team like Emmanuel Simh, Christopher Ndong, Appolinaire Oko, and others, could not have all accepted to be part of Madam Noah’s list, if Kamto was not behind it. From all indications, it is almost certain that the list of Tiriane Balbine Nadege Noah, which is the list of continuity, will win the election, and that she is thus very likely to be the next National President of MRC.
Henriette Ekwe Raised Doubts That Binyam, Or A Non Bami, Cannot Become President Of MRC
The 2nd Assistant Secretary General of MRC, Pierre Emmanuel Binyam, a jurist by profession, back on Sunday, September 13, 2026, publicly confirmed that he is a candidate in the race for the post of National President of MRC. “I am a candidate”, he declared in response to a question during a programme, Canal Presse, over Canal 2 International in Douala. He was one of the members, or invitees, to the panel discussion over Canal 2. Binyam disclosed that he had already put up his list, and that his campaign team had as well already been set up.
Meanwhile, in reaction to the confirmation by Pierre Emmanuel Binyam, that he is candidate for the post of National President of MRC, Veteran journalist and politician, Henriette Ekwe (Founding member of MANIDEM Party, and current President of one of the UPC factions), expressed doubts over his chances to win the election. To be precise, Madam Ekwe who was a member of the panel discussion over Canal 2 International, told Binyam that she has strong doubt, as to whether the base of MRC which she said is indisputably Bamileke, can accept Binyam, a non Bami, as National President of the party. She said Binyam, from all indications, is competent to be the leader of MRC. But again, she did not foresee the possibility of a non Bami being elected National President of MRC.
A member of the Central Committee of the ruling CPDM, Herve Emmanuel Nkom, who was also a member of the panel discussion over Canal 2 International, for once agreed with Madam Ekwe on an issue. Nkom cautioned Binyam to remember what happened to another son of the Littoral Region, Samuel Eboua, in the UNDP Party (in early 1992).
“I Will Win”
Meanwhile, Binyam who did not directly react to what Henriette Ekwe and Herve Emmanuel Nkom said, declared that he was sure to win the MRC election, and thus certain to be the next National President of the party. Herve Emmanuel Nkom reacted with a cynical smile.
Meanwhile, as The Mentor earlier indicated, it is very likely that not only will a non Bamileke become the new National President of MRC, but a woman as well.
