Gambiaj.com – (DOUALA, Cameroon) – A senior figure from the camp of the exiled Cameroonian opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary has warned that the decision by his supporters to boycott upcoming legislative and municipal elections could prove damaging to the movement’s long-term political prospects.
Dr. Chris Manengs, who served as campaign director during Tchiroma’s presidential bid and is now abroad, said the absence of candidates aligned with the opposition leader in the local and parliamentary polls would deprive supporters of representation and risk eroding the momentum generated during the last presidential election.
“I think it will be harmful for Mr. Tchiroma’s supporters and sympathizers not to have people who can represent their voices,” Manengs said, noting that many young activists had hoped to translate the enthusiasm around Tchiroma’s candidacy into seats as councillors and members of parliament.
His remarks come amid growing debate over the strategy adopted by Tchiroma and his party, the Front for the National Salvation of Cameroon (FSNC). While the dates for the legislative and municipal elections scheduled for later this year have not yet been announced, the party has already made its position clear.
In a statement dated January 15, FSNC spokesperson and lawyer Alice Nkom said the party would not take part in either the legislative or municipal elections. She added that the party’s central committee would not endorse “any person who attempts” to defy this line by contesting the polls independently.
The announcement disappointed some party militants and sympathizers who had hoped to capitalize on the popular support surrounding Tchiroma’s presidential run to secure elected positions at the local and national levels.
Manengs argued that abandoning the electoral field entirely could leave these aspiring leaders vulnerable to co-optation by rival political parties. “These are the leaders of tomorrow,” he said. “Are we going to let them be absorbed by other political parties? No.”
While acknowledging that such candidates may not run under the FSNC banner, Manengs suggested the creation of an alternative platform to support them.
“They need to be guided in order to win seats,” he said, calling for a structure that could assist what he described as “orphaned” supporters seeking political mentorship and backing.
Issa Tchiroma Bakary, a former government minister turned opposition figure, is currently in exile in The Gambia. He continues to present himself as Cameroon’s “legitimate president” and rejects the re-election of President Paul Biya, who secured an eighth term in office in the October 12 presidential election.
In the same January 15 communiqué, Tchiroma reiterated that he had “never intended to negotiate my electoral victory, neither before, nor during, nor after the vote,” underlining his continued refusal to engage with the existing political process under the current administration.
