SDF Protest To ELECAM Against The Location Of Over 1000 Polling Stations In Palaces, And Some In Military Barracks

“It is both legally and practically unacceptable for polling stations to be maintained in military barracks or army headquarters, which are neither public civilian venues nor neutral environments”.

“A chiefdom, is not a public space in the administrative sense, but rather a customary site with special status, generally private or communal, with access restricted and subject to specific rules”  

 SDF Calls on the President of the Electoral Board of ELECAM, to instruct the Director General of Elections, to immediately proceed with the relocation of polling stations currently installed in military barracks, within army headquarters, and in traditional chiefdoms or palaces.

 The National Executive Committee, NEC, of the Social Democratic Front, SDF, has through the party’s National Chairman and candidate for the October 12, 2025 presidential election, Hon Joshua Nambangi Osih, addressed a correspondence to the President of the Electoral Board of Elections Cameroon, ELECAM, to request for the relocation of certain polling stations for the presidential election of October 12, 2025.

“In my capacity as a candidate in the presidential election of October 12, 2025, and in the name of fairness, transparency and compliance with the electoral laws in force, I have the honour to bring to your esteemed attention the irregularities observed in the location of certain polling stations throughout the national territory”, the SDF Chairman and presidential candidate, Joshua Osih, opened the correspondence addressed to the President of the Electoral Board of ELECAM. Worth noting the President of the Electoral Board of ELECAM, is Dr Enow Abraham Egbe, former Governor.

Irregularities In The Location Of 1, 153 Polling Stations

Meanwhile the SDF Chairman said in the correspondence that, following an analysis by the party of the provisional list of polling stations published by the Director General of Elections (Erik Essouse) , “it  appears that  nearly 1,153 polling stations are still located in places that are inaccessible to the public, or do not meet the criteria of neutrality, accessibility, and security as stipulated by the Electoral Code, particularly Article 96 (4)”.

Hon Osih said as of today, the SDF specifically note the following: “12 polling stations are officially located in military barracks , 5 polling stations are located within army headquarter, including within the Presidency of the Republic, which is currently being used as the campaign headquarter of the RDPC candidate. 1,147 polling stations are established in traditional chiefdoms”. He noted that some people euphemistically refer to the place where the polling stations are located as the esplanades of the chiefdoms. But the fact is that the esplanade of a palace is an integral part of the palace.  More so, as the SDF pointed out, a palace esplanade is an open place, whereas open –voting is prohibited. Furthermore, access to the location or palace esplanade remains restricted or governed by customary rules.

The Situation In 8 Regions

The SDF, or better still, the SDF Chairman,  stated that the approximate distribution of the 1,141 polling stations located in the chiefdoms or palaces, stands as follows: Adamawa Region – 6 polling stations. Centre Region – 546 polling stations. East Region – 32 polling stations. Far North Region – 432 polling stations. Littoral Region – 36 polling stations. North Region – 4 polling stations. West Region – 35 polling stations. South Region – 50 polling stations.

The SDF said that these figures are based on currently available data, pending the official publication of the final polling station locations for the 2025 presidential election. As can be seen, the Centre and Far North Regions, top the list with the highest numbers of polling stations located in palaces, which respectively stand at 546 and 432 polling stations.

Worthy of note that information on the location of polling stations in palaces raised or exposed by the SDF, is the situation in 8 of the 10 regions of Cameroon. It does not include the situation in the Northwest and Southwest Regions, which have been hard hit by an armed conflict between government troops on the one hand, and supposed separatist fighters as well as armed gangs on the other hand, for over five years now. SDF in the correspondence to ELECAM does not say anything on the situation in the Northwest and Southwest Regions, as regard the irregular location of some polling stations in chiefdoms or palaces.

Legally And Practically Unacceptable

Meanwhile in the SDF correspondence addressed to the President of the Electoral Board of ELEAM by the party’s Chairman, Hon Joshua Osih, he was firm that: “It is both legally and practically unacceptable for polling stations to be maintained in military barracks or army headquarters, which are neither public civilian venues nor neutral environments. The presence of weapons and armed personnel contradicts the legal requirement banning arms in polling stations, and represents a serious breach and a clear violation of the Electoral Code”.

As regard the location of over 1000 polling stations in chiefdoms or places, the SDF leader remarked to the President of the Electoral Board of ELECAM, that ELECAM branches have at times attempted to justify their public character. “However, it is essential to emphasize – as demonstrated in the attached legal argument – that a, chiefdom is not a public space in the administrative sense, but rather a customary site with special status, generally private or communal, with access restricted and subject to specific rules”.  The SDF correspondence pointed out for example, that a, chiefdom or the chief place, or even the palace esplanade, cannot be used as venue for a public meeting, without the prior authorization of the traditional chief, unlike a public square.

SDF Argues That Traditional Chiefdom In Cameroon, Does Not Constitute A Public Place

In the SDF correspondence to ELECAM through the party leader and presidential candidate, the party puts up a strong argument based on the Law and other facts, to show that the traditional chiefdom, or the Chief Palace (also Fon’s Place) does not constitute a public place in the strict sense of administrative Law, but that it is rather governed by a customary and autonomous status, often private, family –based, or community – based, depending on local customs and traditions. Looking at the definition of a Public Place in Cameroonian Law, in the administrative Law, the SSF stated that that “a public place refers to any area designated for public use and managed or owned by a recognized administrative entity (State, decentralized local authorities, public institutions). These include roads, schools, markets, hospitals, public squares, town halls, administrative offices, etc”.

The SDF in the correspondence gave an elaborate presentation on the Legal and Statutory Nature of Chiefdoms. In conclusion, the SDF asserted that the traditional chiefdom in Cameroon does not constitute a public space in the sense defined by Positive Law. “It is a customary space, often private or community –based, under the authority of a traditional leader and governed by specific rules of each group. Any public activity conducted in such a setting must respect this unique legal and cultural status”, the SDF further explained.

“In the light of the above, I kindly request, Mr President, that you instruct the Director General of Elections to immediately proceed with the relocation of polling stations currently installed in military barracks, within army headquarters including those under the Presidency of the Republic, and traditional chiefdoms”, the SDF Chairman, Hon Joshua Osih, requested of the President of the Electoral Board in the correspondence. He further requested that the new polling locations should be   communicated as soon as possible to the public, so as to ensure proper information, and avoid confusion or disputes, on the voting day.