Joe Dinga Pefok (Uncle Joe)
Deputy SG Of Ruling CPDM, Minister Gregoire OWONA, Declared Last April That The Modification Of The Constitution, Creating Post Of Vice President, Would Reassure Investors, Whom He Said Were Worried With The Old Legal Provisions In Case Of Vacancy, At The Office Of President. But The Situation Today, Is Instead Worse. How CCERE Tried To Counter Blomberg’s Report.
In his reaction to Law No. 2026 / 002 of 14 April 2026, that modified the Constitution of Cameroon, creating the post of Vice President of the Republic, the Deputy Secretary General of the ruling CPDM, Gregoire Owona, who is also Minister of Labour and Social Security, declared that the modification of the Constitution would reassure investors, especially foreign investors. He said investors were worried that the former Constitutional provisions for the transfer of power in the country in case of vacancy at the office of the President of the Republic, were such that could spark a serious crisis or a big conflict in the country.
It would be recalled that before the recent modification of the Constitution with Law No. 2026 / 002 of 14 April 2026, the Constitution stated that in case of a vacancy in the office or post of President of the Republic, the President of the Senate would take over power for a maximum period of 120 days, that is, three months, during which a presidential election would be organized. The President of the Senate was thus to be more of an Interim President, and presidential election was to be organized within a short period of time.
Guarantee For Smooth Transition
Minister Gregoire Owona who was guest in the programme, ‘Actualites Hebdo’ over CRTV in Yaounde in late April 2026, claimed that many investors and potential investors that members of government often meet in the course of their work, had repeatedly expressed deep concern or worry over the type of system of power transition in Cameroon, in a situation where there was vacancy in the office of the President of the Republic. He said the investors expressed fear that the Law which stated that a presidential election would be organized within 120 days after the office of President is declared vacant, was one that could see a big power struggle that could spark a big conflict, in the country.
The Deputy Secretary General of the ruling CPDM, said the modification of the Constitution with the creation of the post of Vice President of the Republic, who will constitutionally take over as President of the Republic in case of vacancy, to complete the mandate of his predecessor, is a guarantee for a smooth transition of power in case of vacancy. He said Law No. 2026 / 002 of 14 April 2026, would thus reassure investors that they have nothing to fear over power transition in Cameroon, in case of a vacancy in the office of the President of the Republic.
Situation Instead Gets Worse
But political observers and analysts, will agree that a few months after the modification of the Constitution with the adoption of Law No. 2026 / 002 of 14 April , 2026, the issue of vacancy in the post of President of the Republic, has instead worsen with a state of growing uncertainty , and even fear in the country.
This is because since promulgating in Law (Law No. 2026 / 002 of 14 April 2026), that created the post of Vice President, the 93 year old President Paul Biya, who has been in power for over 43 years, and whose physique is said to have been greatly weaken naturally by age, has till date not appointed the Vice President of the Republic.
This has raised the important question or worry in many minds in Cameroon and beyond, including of course investors and Cameroon’s partners, as to what will happen, if the office of the President of the Republic, becomes vacant today. This is considering the fact that the Vice President, who is supposed to be the Constitutional successor the President of the Republic in case of vacancy, has not been appointed. More so, the Constitution, or better still, Law No. 2026 / 002 of 14 April 2026, is clear that it is the President of the Republic that has the legal authority to appoint the Vice President, and thus no one else.
This is definitely the main reason why the very long stay of the 93 year President Biya’s out of the country, and especially the fact that he has not been seen by members of the public for a long time, is raising a lot of concern across the country and beyond. The situation has been worsen by disturbing allegations on the social media and by some foreign media organs, about the President’s health, even though the CPDM regime says the President is neither hospitalized nor sick. The disturbing question remains, what happens if the office of the President of the Republic, becomes vacant, today. There is no doubt that this question would not have been such a disturbing issue to the Cameroonian people, investors and Cameroon’s partners, if the constitutional successor of the President of the Republic was in office.
Blomberg Reports That Uncertainty Is Scaring Away Investors
Meanwhile, there is no doubt that the long and unexplained stay of the 93 year old President Biya outside the country, and especially the fact that the Vice President of the Republic, who is the constitutional successor of the President ,has not been appointed, as thus creating a situation of uncertainty, is scaring many foreign investors from coming to Cameroon.
On August 7, 2026 for example, an authoritative media house in the USA, BLOMBERG,, which focuses mainly on economic issues, reported that a research report shows that President Biya’s long stay outside the country, his age and long stay in power, the non – appointment of the Vice President of the Republic (constitutional successor), and the fight for power, or the ongoing succession battles, are scaring away foreign investors from Cameroon. Also, Cameroon’s foreign partners are reported to be uncertain as to who is really in charge in Cameroon, considering that the 93 year old President of the Republic, Paul Biya, has naturally been physically weakened by age, and thus no longer have that capacity to run Cameroon as before.
It should be noted that the ongoing succession battles in Cameroo,n that a number of foreign media organs like ‘Jeune Afrique’, have been reporting as well as commenting on, is related to the fact that the 93 year President Biya, has since after the modification of the Constitution last April, not appointed the Vice President of the Republic, who is supposed to be his constitutional successor . If the Vice President had been appointed, things would have been clear to all, including foreign partners and investors, as well as to those that are reportedly involved in the ‘war of succession’ today, as to who is the constitutional successor of the 93 year old President Biya.
CCERE Says No Reason To Be Scared
Meanwhile, apparently in a desperate attempt to counter the August 7 report by Blomberg, the ‘Centre de Commerce Exterieur et des Relation Exterieur’, CCERE, that is, the Centre for External Trade and External Relations, in Cameroon, on August 8, 2026 issued a release in the nation’s economic capital, Douala, trying to reassure national and foreign investors, that President Biya is doing remarkably well in health (“Le President Biya se porte remarqueblement bien”). CCERE whose Director is Ibrahim Zakari, as well claimed in the release that the business climate in Cameroon is superb., and that Cameroon thus remains a major attraction in the African continent, to investors. CCERE said Cameroon has very good laws that promote and protect investments, and that the Cameroon Government relentlessly work to constantly ameliorate the business climate in the country.
The CCERE release pointed out that Cameroon has abundant natural resources and a dynamic population, and is a territory that is very fertile for investments, including innovative initiatives.
Meanwhile, in an article posted on the social media on August 12, 2026, the Director of CCERE, Ibrahim Zakari, among other things, said that CCERE which was created in the year 2000, with the mission being to work for the promotion of investment s in Cameroon, is positioning itself as a major actor in the defense and promotion of Cameroon’s image to investors.
It can thus be understood why CCERE came out with the controversial August 8, 2026 press release, in a desperate attempt to counter the Blomberg report, even if no mention was made in the CCERE press release about the report. It was definitely no coincidence that CCERE issued the controversial press release on August 8, a day after the Blomberg report.
