Cameroon: Legal battles intensify ahead of tense presidential election

With Cameroon's presidential election scheduled for October 12, the pre-election atmosphere has turned tense, as the Constitutional Council deliberates on 35 appeals filed by candidates rejected by the electoral commission, Elections Cameroon (ELECAM).

On Monday, August 4, the country's top court became the scene of political and legal drama, with lawyers and representatives of disqualified candidates confronting a heavily secured city under tight gendarmerie lockdown.

One of the first high-profile cases heard was that of Léon Theiller Onana, a member of the ruling CPDM party, who filed a bold appeal against none other than Paul Biya, the longtime incumbent president and CPDM’s official candidate.

Theiller Onana contested Biya's eligibility, arguing that his nomination by CPDM structures was invalid. According to him, the party bodies that endorsed Biya were no longer legitimately constituted, rendering both his candidacy and political mandate questionable.

SOUNDBITE (French) – Me Eyango Louis, CPDM lawyer: "Candidate Paul Biya was nominated by CPDM bodies that are no longer legitimate. That’s the claim. He also argues that President Paul Biya is ineligible because he simultaneously holds the public office of President of the Republic and the internal position of National President of the CPDM."

Despite the audacity of the challenge, the Constitutional Council dismissed Onana's case without deliberation, reinforcing the view that Biya’s path to candidacy remains unshaken.

However, all eyes remain fixed on the unfolding legal battle involving Maurice Kamto, leader of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM) and widely viewed as the main opposition figure. Kamto's party, with the support of Manidem (Mouvement africain pour la nouvelle indépendance et la démocratie), is appealing ELECAM’s decision to exclude him from the race.

Dubbed by some media as the "last chance showdown," Monday’s session may determine not only Kamto’s fate but the broader credibility of Cameroon’s electoral process. The stakes are high, and the nation watches closely as the Constitutional Council continues its review.

Whether this process reinforces public trust or deepens political fractures may depend on the council’s decisions in the coming days.